Friend Or Foe?
by SongOfStars
Summary: YEAR 3 of 7x:: James, Peter & Sirius learn Remus is a werewolf & try to find a way to help him. Sequel to Rites Of Initiation.
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimers:** Alright, this sequel up & done. I don't own anything as usual, being the poor train hobo that I am…lolol…but I'm still hiding that HP & The POA sticker album behind my back as well as the movies & EA games for Harry Potter.

**AN:** This is the 3rd installment of my MWPP; a continuing sequel of Year 1: _**Darkness In Our Midst**_ & Year 2: _**Rites Of Initiation**_, which can be found in my bio.

**Summary:** Year 3: James, Peter & Sirius learn that Remus is a werewolf & try to find a way to help him.

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Friend Or Foe? 

**Summary:** Year 3: James, Peter & Sirius learn that Remus is a werewolf & try to find a way to help him.

_**Year 3 of 7+**_

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**(1) The Marauders Return**

It was nearly two months since the Marauders had increased their number to four; two hot months of summer. In a week, the four of them would meet at Kings Cross station for their third year of education at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry.

James Potter, a messy haired bespectacled boy, rolled out of bed, or at least tried to. He met with a long lump that made an ominous noise as it slowly woke up. This lump pulled the cover off its top & Sirius Black, with hair as dark as his name & thick like a lion's mane, lay on his pillow glaring.

"What are you doing?" James demanded.

"You're the one who pushed our beds together to make one big one, remember?" Sirius grumbled. "Told you it was a bad idea. 'We'd have twice as much room. It'd be cool. Make the blankets into a giant tent. We cou-"

"Be quiet!" James snapped.

"See?" said Sirius. "You woke me up, by the way. What time is it?"

"Breakfast!" Mrs. Potter hollered from the kitchen.

"Breakfast time," James answered Sirius's question unnecessarily. That got Sirius moving in a hurry. James was barely out of bed before his friend had already gotten up & fled for the kitchen as if he were starving to death. James appeared moments later.

Sirius had already pulled out his own plate & settled down at the table, eating like a unicorn. But by now, the Potters were used to it, for Sirius spent more time at their house then he did at his own. The Black family was a wound up people who looked down their noses at just about everyone. They didn't even like the Potters much, even though that family was pureblooded. Sirius tired quickly of their pompous ways & their constant complaining about their muggle neighbors. Neither did he like their meaningless ramblings about some Voldemort wizard who had the right idea of keeping the wizarding community pure of unworthy non-magic folk, the muggles, & purging the magical people of half-blooded wizards, those who were descended of muggle lines.

This more then anything else annoyed Sirius no end as well as James, for they had one particular friend who was half-blooded. Remus Lupin, a sandy-haired often-pale boy of France, had just been initiated into the Marauders last school term. James had invited him along with the fourth member, Peter Pettigrew a brown-haired boy who, last time they met, was slightly chubby, to spend the last week at his house. Peter would be arriving later that day but Remus had sent Nightstalker back saying he was rather ill & couldn't come this time. Sirius & James checked the calendar to find a Full Moon in the middle of the last week of summer.

Peter arrived just before lunch, no longer as chubby as James & Sirius had remembered & his brown hair a bit longer then normal. The three of them headed for the tiny lake that was behind the house; though, compared to the big lake at Hogwarts, Peter complained that this little lake was more of a pond. Whatever the appropriate word was, it was a place to keep cool for the last week of summer.

The day to go to Kings Cross Station for the Hogwarts Express started with a bang, literally. A long, loud clash of thunder roared through the morning sky like a subway & the rain came down in sheets. James, Peter & Sirius slowly pulled out of bed, got dressed & trudged downstairs looking miserable, knowing they'd have to go out in the downpour.

They arrived at the station wetter then dolphins. Only the Hogwarts Express looked shiny & bright as the water poured over it in a wash & the windows glowed yellow. Sirius shivered as he forced his trunk up into the door of the train & pulled himself beside it. Once inside, the three of them began pushing their way down the alley to their usual compartment at the very back.

James noticed a sandy-blond head looking out for them. "Oi, Rem...us." Remus had slammed the door shut & James heard a click & knew they were locked out. "Remus!" He pounded on the door. "We're cold, wet & tired. Please open up." James heard snickering inside. Remus was clearly taking pleasure in his friends' misery. Well, they had made him a Marauder so now they had to deal with the consequences.

"Remus!" Sirius barked in a demanding voice as the train lurched forward. The three of them fell backwards in the sway. Nightstalker appeared in the tiny window, talons digging in to the frame & looked for all the world like he was laughing as well. "Open this door at once, Lupin!"

"Having fun?" Remus shoved it open & let his waterlogged friends in. James, Peter & Sirius hoisted their trunks onto the shelf & sat down, James & Peter on one side & Sirius beside Remus, who quickly pulled out his wand & pronounced a drying charm on the others & then sat down in his usual corner, smiling pleasantly.

"What?" James asked after a minute of constant smiling.

"Nothing," Remus pulled out a book to hide a smirk.

"Well, I got some chocolate in my trunk," Sirius said. "Anyone want any?" Everyone said yes so Sirius got up.

_**RIP!**_

Remus burst out laughing.

"What did you do to my pants?" Sirius demanded.

"Nothing...you're...the one...who...who...who..." Remus gasped between breaths.

"You sound like an owl," Sirius snapped.

"Who got up!" Remus finished.

"What happened?" James asked, standing up sharply. Another rip. "What the...? Remus!" Peter stood up as well, causing a third rip. Now, James, Peter & Sirius had left half their pants stuck to the seat & would have to wear something around their waists to hide the tears.

"Remus!" all three demanded at once.

"Crazy glue," Remus laughed. "I glued you to your seats."

"What in the name of Merlin is crazy-glue?" asked his pureblooded friends.

"A sticking solution muggles make," Remus said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'll get you for this," James threatened. "What'll Lily think of me now if she sees me going around with ripped pants?"

"Probably the same as usual," said Remus. "That you're a loser who the sooner drops off a cliff & dies, the better." Sirius & Peter snickered at this in spite of themselves.

James only glared. "You're lucky I'm not wearing my school robes yet." He waved his wand around, getting rid of the patches of glue marking three locations with bits of material. He, Peter & Sirius got changed right then & there & put their torn pants in their trunks to fix later.

Afterward, the four of them caught up & the past summer for the next few hours until the food trolley went through. They bought plenty of liquorish wands, a box of Berti Botts Every Flavor Jelly Beans each & lots of pumpkin juice & chocolate frogs. Remus also got himself some extra chocolate, of course.

"I got Barnaby the Brave again," Sirius held up his chocolate frog card. "Peter, didn't you say you needed him?"

"I think so," Peter pulled out his own card. "Another Albus Dumbledore, now I've got three of him."

"I don't have any," Sirius said, trading his Barnaby card for their Transfigurations Professor card.

"Sure is weird seeing one of our professors on a card," Remus mused.

"I know," James agreed. "you should see him in his night clothes. Now there's a picture of him that should go on his card!"

"When Remus gets to be on his own card, then he can wear that lovely red lingerie we got him," Sirius teased as Peter doubled over while James pretended to choke on a lemon cream cake. Remus glowered at them, remembering how he had been forced to wear some red silk lingerie in his last test.

"Very funny," Remus muttered when the laughter subsided.

"So," James said once Remus had stopped his death-glaring stare at them. "How should we say hello to Snivelus when we see him?" The four of them grinned evilly & put their heads together. They spent the rest of the trip, planning their next prank.

The train moved its way north, leaving the thunderstorm behind. Now they were going through the country as the sun began to sink, casting a shimmering glow over the drenched land where the storm had passed earlier. It was a clear night when they arrived at the station. James, Peter & Sirius stepped out first & hurried toward the carriages that would take them to the castle, a dark mass of towers & turrets with spots of yellow where the torches burned brightly, standing silently in the distance.

As the castle came closer James smiled at Sirius. "You're looking quite dry right now, Siri," He reached for his wand.

"Don't even think about it!" Sirius snapped. For once, he was finally going to walk into that castle dry. The rain had stopped a while ago, leaving the air smelling crisp.

Remus arranged his cloak more securely around him, putting the hood up as well & stuffed his hands into his pockets. He made sure nothing was exposed to any stray moon ray & kept his eyes on the ground.

The others stood around waiting for him, while Sirius leaned on a thick tree trunk. Remus heard a fluttering of wings & flicked his eyes upward for a moment. A small Thestral was flapping wildly, looking for a place to land. It looked like it was still a baby on training wings & this was probably his first flight. It landed haphazardly in a tree; the same tree poor Sirius just happened to be standing under. It's branches bowed in the weight of foal & water, depositing many large droplets on a certain black-haired blue-eyed thirteen-year-old boy standing below.

_**Drip! Drip! Drip!**_ Up the steps stomped Sirius, amidst sneers & snickers from his friends.

"There's always next year," Remus encouraged as the four of them sat down at the table.

"Be quiet!" Sirius ordered. James & Peter laughed harder as Remus sighed & pulled out his wand to dry out Sirius.

The sorting began when the group of first years entered. James soon toned out & began scanning the females at Gryfindor Table for a certain redhead. He found her at the far end between Amanda & Alice, watching the sorting intently. James scribbled a note on a napkin, folded it & wrote 'To Lily Evans' on the edge. He passed it on down the table to her.

When Lily got it, she half dreaded opening it, knowing who sent the note. Amanda & Alice giggled themselves hoarse as Lily read to herself, _Can I walk you to the Tower after supper? James Potter_

Lily added something to the note & sent it back up the table. James smiled as he opened it but his face soon fell. _That's very kind of you; however I have already made a previous arrangement with Gilderoy Lockhart. Lily Evans_ James tried to get rid of the note but Sirius snatched it away & read it with Peter & Remus. James ignored them & glared at the blond boy sitting beside Remus.

"Gilderoy, oh Gilderoy," James sighed to himself under his breath. "How dare he meddle with other people's girls? I'll show him."

Of course now that she had said it, Lily had to walk with Gilderoy to the Tower. She hurried to catch up to him & made small talk about the past summer. Gilderoy was mildly surprised at first that a girl just suddenly decided to walk with him but soon the two of them were chatting up a storm.

"Listen to him," James muttered, following a good distance behind. "Why he's just...hey! That was a line, Lily. Ignor it!" Sirius, Peter & Remus could barely walk straight from laughing too much.

"Now what are those idiots up to?" Lily asked, glancing behind her.

"No idea," Gilderoy answered. "But you know how they can be. Though, I must say, that Lupin kid's not half bad."

"I suppose so," agreed Lily. "I wonder why he sometimes seems to vanish for a day or two?"

"Hmm? I never noticed." Gilderoy shrugged. "I think he's ill, often showing up in class looking like he stepped out of a grave. What's the password?"

"Well if you don't know," the Fat Lady said sternly. "You don't get in!"

"Gubraithian Fire," said Remus a moment later. The Fat Lady smiled & opened the door.

"What's Guberthan Fire?" Peter asked.

"Gubraithian," Remus rolled his eyes. "We learned about it last year. It's an everlasting fire. Hardly anyone can do the charm so it's not likely we'll ever learn how to do it, but it was mentioned in Defense Against The Dark Arts class in the last term." Remus moved to his favorite armchair before anyone else could take it, muttering under breath, _"Franchement, c'est étonnant qu'ils réussissent 'a rentrer cette année."_ ("Honestly, it's a wonder they made it back this year.")

James watched as Lily said goodnight to Gilderoy & entered the girls' dorm. "I'm going to go say goodnight to her." He headed for the stairs & began climbing. A sound like a klaxon boomed through the whole Tower & James descended with a yelp & flat on his back as the girls' stairs turned into a slide & belched him out the door.

"Girls' stairs are gender-sensitive, Jim," Remus droned in a bored voice.

"Yeah," James said weakly. "I knew that."

"You know Rem?" Sirius scolded. "You could have mentioned that before James went up there."

"Why?" said Remus. "He would never learn otherwise." This made Sirius & Peter laugh again as James glared.

"Well what's the schedule?" James snapped, pulling out his timetable. "Look, Remy! We've got double potions with Professor Snivelus first thing tomorrow." Now it was Remus's turn to glare as Sirius, Peter & James roared with laughter.

"I wasn't amused," Remus stated flatly, remembering all to well how he had accidentally called Jerehk Snape 'Professor Snivelus' last year & earned a week of detention on top of getting banned from the library for a month.

"You should call him that again, sometime," said Sirius.

Remus slammed his book shut & stood up. "How' bout you call him that sometime?" Sirius glanced to the floor, avoiding that amber glare. "Now, if you lot don't mind, I'm going to bed before any of you come up with another idea to get me in trouble, or worse, expelled. _Bonne nuit_." (Good night.")

"Huh! Touchy, isn't he?" James shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll go to bed too."

"It's just his PMS," Sirius snickered. Then he added after a minute. "If he's a werewolf, of course."

"Of course," James agreed politely. He headed up to bed with a light smile muttering, "Pre-Moon-Syndrome, good one." under his breath. Sirius & Peter soon followed to find their trunks already brought up. Remus as usual, was in the bed in the corner, away from the window & had the curtains drawn protectively around him. Sirius & James were in the middle with Peter on the far left. Sirius slipped into bed & watched Nightstalker on the windowsill until he fell asleep.


	2. A Hippogriff Is Born

**(2) A Hippogriff Is Born**

The Marauders were awake & down at the Great Hall faster then anyone could say 'Breakfast!' They had a good reason, good from a Marauder's point of view that is, to be on time for the double Potions class that morning. It was customary for Slytherin & Gryfindor to share the same class at the same time just like Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw shared their class on their own time. So of course, the Marauders chose this first class to greet their favorite Hogwarts House, Slytherin, and particularly two certain members of it.

As soon as breakfast was over, they hurried to the ancient dungeons that were now used for classes & took their place at the back, waiting expectantly. The class was learning the Quick Draught today which would cause the one who drank it to appear as if in fast forward motion. Their target, Severus Snape, sat in front of them & tried to ignor them.

It wasn't until the end of class that James & Sirius decided to make their move. Sirius threw his old inkbottle under Severus's desk, causing the boy to duck under to investigate. James pointed his wand to the cauldron in front of Severus's, making it explode. Severus sat up all to soon as the cauldron in front of his burst & sprayed its contents everywhere, the lot of it landing on students, including Severus & unfortunately, Remus.

"What's going on here?" Professor Snape demanded. Almost everyone began talking at once. Unfortunately, those who began talking where the ones who had the Quick all over them & so it sounded more like a babble of chipmunks then anything understandable.

Professor Snape slammed his hands over his ears. "Enough!" he roared. "Anyone with the Quick, go to the hospital wing & please write down what you want to say. The rest of you, stay put!" Of course, this cleared out most of the class, leaving James, Peter, Sirius & four Slytherins, two of which where girls, left behind. "Who did that?" Snape demanded.

"Uhh...I think," James began. "That's right. I think it was Severus."

"Excuse me?" Snape marched up to James's desk & towered over him.

"Maybe not on purpose!" James yelped. "But the cauldron in front of his was the one that exploded so maybe...err…you know? Sirius help me out, will you?"

"Uhh, " Sirius took over the conversation. "I saw it happen. Severus accidentally bumped the girl in front of him & she made her cauldron explode. But I'm sure it wasn't intentional."

"Is that so?" Snape glared. "Are you sure that it isn't four certain troublemakers who will remain nameless, that deliberately caused this mess?" He waved his hand towards the splattered classroom.

"Of course not," Peter declared. "As you can see, Remus isn't here. Why would we to that to our friend?"

"For a cover-up, no doubt," Snape snapped. "Detention! All three of you...& Remus too."

"What?" James, Peter & Sirius yelped at once.

"You heard me," Snape snapped again. "Now get out!" The three of them glared at Snape for a moment before collecting their things & fleeing.

"So unfair," Sirius snapped. "Remus wasn't even there. I'm so mad I could...I could..._Trippen_," Sirius waved his wand at an unsuspecting First Year boy who went crashing to the floor, books spilling everywhere. Sirius took no notice.

"_Trippen_?" Peter asked.

"It's the Trip Jinx, Pete," James sighed. "It makes people stumble. We learned it last year, remember?"

"No," Peter sighed sadly.

James rolled his eyes. "Let's go tell Remus. I'm not looking forward to this."

"Might as well take it out on someone," Sirius shrugged.

James ignored it until they had reached the hospital wing. Feeling miserable, James suddenly whirled around & pointed his wand at a Ravenclaw girl. "_Reducto_." The girl's bag was ripped at the seams & everything tumbled out.

"Merlin's sake," the girl muttered, hurrying to gather her things, not noticing the three boys disappear into the hospital.

Remus was just finishing off some potion to return to normal as they came in. "Remus, bad news," James began. "We got caught for some stupid reason."

"It's like he can read minds or something," Sirius added & then launched into a full explanation.

"Wht?" Remus yelped at top speed. He cleared his throat & tried again. "Sorry. Wht...err...a-hem mm...what?" James, Peter & Sirius giggled like schoolgirls.

"Anyway," Peter finally said. "We're all in detention. Starting next week."

"Great!" Remus fumed. "Thxltgys...er..a-hem mmm! Thanks a lot, gys...guys! Wht'ver...I mean..."

"Hush, Remus," James laughed. "Give it time to wear off." Remus decided James was right & just glared at him.

The Marauders had their detention on Sunday night. Remus & Peter were sent to Professor Shepherd to help clean out the Thestral barn. Remus was able to see them of course & so guided Peter away whenever he tried walking through an invisible obstruction.

"Why is it you can see them?" Peter snapped when he almost got his head chopped off by a stretching wing. Remus had told him to duck just in time.

"'Cause I saw someone die," Remus said slowly. "Remember what Professor Shepherd said in our first year?"

"A bit," Peter muttered. "The Horses Of The Dead, he called them. Mind if I ask who died?"

_"Oui!"_ ("Yes!")

"Gees, never mind then," Peter backed off. "It's just...I really don't want to lose my head anytime soon, you know?" He added as he ducked when something swept passed him.

"That was the bucket of fish I threw down Pete," Remus scoffed from the floor above. "Surely you can see dead fish?"

"I never saw a horse eat fish before," Peter groaned.

"These horses are scavengers, Pete," Remus laughed. "They'll eat anything."

"A-A-Anything?" Peter whimpered as he felt a tug on his robes. Remus only snickered as he saw the Thestral lift off a stray salmon from Peter's back & trotted off. Peter fell over with a yelp as he saw a fish hanging in mid-air.

Remus helped him up & put a false comforting arm around him. "Anything." Peter gulped.

Meanwhile, James & Sirius; the worst of the four troublemakers, were in separate detentions. Sirius was stuck with none other then Professor Snape & had to chip apart several cauldrons that had somehow been fused together. He had to break them apart without magic, using nothing but a blade to cut through the crumbling hardened solution & couldn't help but think that someone had either stolen Remus's tube of glue-craze or crazoo or whatever it was or had used their own. James was stuck in the Charms classroom, cleaning up after a freak accident had left several walls oozing something he didn't want to know what. Of course, he too wasn't allowed magic & had to go around scrubbing with a bucket of soapy water & rags.

"Jim! Jim, you there?"

James looked around. "Who's there?"

"Check the mirror," Sirius ordered.

"Right," James pulled out his mirror from his back pocket. He had given Sirius enchanted mirrors for Christmas during their first year. According to Remus, they acted like telephones, whatever telephones were. James & Sirius were able to talk to each other through the little mirrors whenever they were sent to separate detentions.

"I'm dying over here," Sirius fumed.

"Really?" James raised an eyebrow. "What sort of flowers you want on your grave?"

"Very funny!" Sirius snapped as he heard James's laughter through the mirror. "All I've got is this itty bitty knife to cut loose these cauldrons. No magic, I'll be here the rest of my life."

"Well can't you use magic to make the knife bigger?" James suggested as he scrubbed furiously at a section of the wall that refused to stop oozing.

"Can't," Sirius groaned. "Professor Snivelus confiscated my wand."

"Same here," James agreed sadly. "Professor Adelhide took my wand too."

"What are you forced to do?" Sirius asked as he jabbed the knife into a crack.

"You don't want to know," James groaned. "The walls of the Charms classroom are oozing something terrible. Stupid First Years. We were never like that in our first year!"

"Definitely...NOT!" Sirius yelped as he tumbled backwards when the two cauldrons he was working on suddenly came free. "Oof!" James was about to ask what happened when he heard more clattering. _"Ohh, non!"_ ("Oh, no!") Sirius yelped again. "Ow-w-w!"

"Siri?" James called hopefully, dropping his rag & staring into his mirror. "Sirius?"

A muffled slightly echoic voice said, "Ohhh foooor Merrrrliin's saaakkkkee!" & then a head shaped like a cauldron appeared in James's mirror. Wait a minute! It was cauldron.

"What's going on down there?" James demanded of the cauldron-head.

"Fellll ooooovvveeer," Cauldron-head said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, his voice echoing within the container. "Thiiiis," a human index finger appeared & pointed at the cauldron. "laaandeeed ooon myyy heaaad."

"Ha!" James scoffed real loud as he turned back to his wall. "You look good Siri." He heard a soft pop & another clatter as Sirius pulled off the cauldron & threw it away.

"Get lost, git!" Sirius snapped at his mirror as James continued to laugh.

"I'm not the one with a cauldron for a head," James snickered.

"Wonder how Rem & Pete are doing?" Sirius decided to change the subject.

"Aahh no no no!"

"Pete just—"

"_Non!"_ ("No!") Peter yelped. "Get it off of me!"

"Peter Pettigrew!" Remus bellowed. "That's enough!" He ran forward & grabbed the halter. "He's just trying to lick you 'cause a salmon had landed on your ba-AH!-ck." The Thestral had yanked his head out of Remus's grip. "Come here you!" Remus clamped a lead-rope to the loop of the halter & jerked the stallion away to a stable. The horse whinnied shrilly in despair from being locked up. Remus ignored him. "I guess we're finished here, Pete." He waited a moment as Peter glanced around from his lookout post. Literally a post, for Peter had monkey-climbed up one of the pillars holding up the loft & was now wrapping his arms & legs firmly around the top just barely out of Thestral reach. "Well get down," Remus ordered.

"I-I-Is it safe?" Peter whimpered.

"I'm tired," Remus groaned. "Now either come down now or leave by yourself." He headed for the door.

"Remus don't leave!" Peter yelped. "I'll get down! I'll get down." He gingerly let himself slide down & landed on the hay. "Let's get out of here."

The Marauders were reunited in the Gryfindor common room looking tired & soar. James, Peter & Sirius headed straight for the showers while Remus, as usual, waited to be the last person up before going to the boys' bathroom to shower alone. He was getting more & more scars as the months went by & it was getting harder & harder to hide them all. Remus knew he probably needed a pack to distract him from hurting himself but what school would be crazy enough to let in one more Lycan? He was lucky to make it to Hogwarts himself, but only on thanks to Dumbledore. Remus dressed & slipped into bed long after the others had fallen asleep.

The next few days, the Marauders managed to keep out of trouble; or rather, not get caught causing trouble. James & Sirius had split open a few more bags of unsuspecting First Years while Peter had turned Severus's black oily hair into a rainbow of colors. Meanwhile, Remus locked Lucious Malfoy in one of the main bathrooms of Hogwarts though he didn't do it on purpose. He had been trying to lock his music box shut but Sirius had tripped over him, most likely on purpose, & Remus's wand pointed at the bathroom door instead of his box.

Towards the last week of September, the weather was finally starting to cool & the students spent the last warm days doing their homework outside. James, Peter, Sirius & Remus were congregated under the beech tree beside the lake, pouring over their Charms essays. Remus of course, was re-writing his for the third time as he had found some new information to add.

Sirius put his away after only fifteen minutes, claiming he was done & stared around, his thick shiny black hair falling into his eyes & blowing slightly in the breeze. Sirius watched as a group of Ravenclaw girls settled themselves by the beach & noticed with satisfaction that no redheads were among them. He wouldn't have to put up with James's swooning today. There was one unusually silvery-blonde head that for a moment turned & noticed the Marauders under the tree. Sirius suddenly raised an eyebrow. There was something odd about that girl but he couldn't quite figure it out. His vision was suddenly blocked by a large mass.

"Hagrid!" Sirius yelped, rolling out of the way of the half-giant's feet.

"Hi, Hagrid," James laid his quill down. "What are you doing here?"

"I need ya help," Hagrid said in a worried voice. "Professor Shepherd is away today & the other Professors are busy. I don'ta wan'to bother them & all."

"What is it?" Remus looked up.

"Well," Hagrid ran his hand through his hair. "It'sa Queen."

"A queen?" Peter gaped. "I didn't know you knew royalty?"

"No no," Hagrid waved his hand. "I mean Queen! Come on, we don'ta have much time. I need someone to bring me the blankets & all while I keep her calm." With that, Hagrid began marching to his hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest letting the Marauders clamor to keep up with him.

Hagrid led them to the back of his hut, through the pumpkin patch & to a clearing in the Forest edge. In the middle of the clearing was an odd-looking animal lying on its side. It had the pure-white hindquarters of a horse but with the head of an eagle. It's front legs were also eagle legs ending in long talons. It's white-with-speckled-gold feathers were ruffled & the right long wing was lying along its side while the other one underneath stuck out at an odd angle. The creature seemed to have problems breathing.

"Hagrid," James stared. "What exactly is that?"

"That's a hippogriff," Remus answered instead.

"Must you know everything?" James complained. "Insufferable know-it-all," he muttered under breath.

"And what, dear Remy, is a hippogriff?" Sirius sneered making Remus roll his eyes.

"A very proud creature that is half-horse & half-eagle," Remus groaned in an annoyed voice. "Hagrid, what's wrong with him?"

"Her," Hagrid corrected. "Pregnant but not giving birth. Baby's having a time. Now, I need you & Peter to grab some blankets. James & Sirius can fetch some hot water." Hagrid settled himself at Queen's head to keep her quiet while the boys hurried to grab the blankets & water. Hagrid covered Queen with the blankets & wiped down her head as she gave another groan.

"Hey, I see a beak," Sirius said suddenly as he pulled away the tail.

"I've been seeing that beak for the past hour," Hagrid sighed.

"It keeps bucking," Sirius said. "It'll come out soon enough."

"I hope so," Hagrid worried.

It was another twenty minutes before anyone could see the head that the little beak was attached to. The little hippogriff kept bucking up it's beak as it pulled it's way out. When it was half-born, Hagrid was able to grab it & pull it the rest of the way. The baby lay down, stretching its stubs for wings & let out a long hard honk, throwing back its beak to the sky as it did so.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hagrid gloated, wiping down the foal.

"What are you going to call him?" Sirius asked.

"Well, I think ya already named 'im," said Hagrid. "Buckbeak. It's a well ea'ned name if I do say so m'self."

"Wow I've never seen one of these before," James looked Queen over as she slowly stood up. She was about the size of the average horse.

"Y'all be learnin' about 'em next term," Hagrid said. "Rohan'll borrow a few for his class."

"Professor Shepherd is going to teach us about these?" Peter repeated as he helped to wipe down the little Buckbeak.

"Yup," Hagrid said. "'Course Queen won't be there. Got a baby to take care of & all. Hippogriffs raise their foals for about 2 years."

"Who's the dad?" asked James.

"That's the grey & white one," said Hagrid. "You'll be meetin' Thunder in your class. Speakin' of class; Blimey! You lot had better getta move on or Sara'll have m'hide!"

"Right. Bye Hagrid! Buckbeak!" James yelped, sprinting for the castle with his friends in tow & their Ancient Runes class with Professor Ferns.

"Can we visit him later?" Sirius asked before running off.

"Sure," Hagrid called after them as he waved them away.


	3. Riddikulus!

**(3) Riddikulus!**

The Marauders visited the little hippogriff that Sirius had named Buckbeak as often as they could during the next few weeks. Buckbeak would waddle cautiously out behind his mother to stare at them with his big orange eyes but never straying to far from her. Queen would honk in dismay if they got to close, anxiously trying to reach out & pet her new foal. Twice, Peter got a vicious peck on his arm from getting to close.

James & Sirius soon had something else to distract them. Quidditch season was starting again & James was the Seeker for the Gryfindor Team while Sirius was one of three Chasers & every Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday evening found them flying around the Pitch training for the first game of the season in October.

Remus & Peter often followed to watch from the stands, Remus as usual, picking away at his already done homework. Of course, this led to some complications during the last week of September when there was a Full Moon & Peter was asking why he would be alone in the stands one night. Remus had just shrugged it off & said that he was going home for a few days for his mother had fallen ill yet again.

"Your mother must be really delicate," Peter had remarked.

Remus nearly bit his head off. "Yes, of course she is! It's not my fault Mama is always ill. We're very worried about her."

"Alright! Alright," Peter put his hands up in defeat. "Don't bite my head off. I'll see you in a few days then."

After Peter had left, Remus was led away to the Whomping Willow under which was a tunnel that led to the old Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. This shack was thought of by the common villagers to be haunted be very distressed evil ghosts who would frequent the old house & shriek in despair. Dumbledore encouraged this rumor when he got wind of it & no one knew that it was really a young werewolf that had taken residence there to transform on Full Moons for such transformations were painful to go through.

Remus returned two days later, looking worn out & almost dead. He made up a hurried excuse that traveling long distances didn't suit him to well & that some people wondered if he had his mother's weak condition. James, Peter & Sirius forced themselves to accept such an explanation, as they really couldn't say otherwise.

Satisfied that they had apparently fallen for his cover story again, Remus made himself comfortable by the fire & began catching up on his homework. He had come to fantasize to himself about the Marauders being his pack; though, he knew this could never really be true. He would kill them if they one day decided to show up at the Shrieking Shack. Werewolves would attack any human on sight, but not animals. Remus would often wonder what it would be like if his three friends were animals.

Remus was halfway through his Transfiguration essay when he noticed Peter poking his owl, Nightstalker, with his wand & muttering under breath. "Pete, what are you doing to my owl?"

"Siri showed me a spell that would turn him into a peacock," Peter answered. "Want to see?"

"If I wanted a peacock," Remus groaned. "I would have gotten a real one."

"I can change him back, of course," Peter said brightly and then his face fell a bit. "That is, if I can change him into a peacock in the first place."

"Well let's hear the spell," Remus sighed, putting aside his books.

Peter sat up a bit straighter, "Essence of hollyhock," he waved his wand. "I want a peacock!"

Remus snickered into his hand, "Oh, Sirius."

"Stupid spell," Peter complained, not hearing Remus.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" Remus teased. "You should know by now, not to believe everything Sirius tells you."

Peter looked more crestfallen then ever. "I guess so."

"Well, I'm going to bed," Remus picked up all his books. "Now that I've done everything due for tomorrow."

The next day, everyone was mildly surprised to find Professor Rohan Shepherd, their Care Of Magical Creatures teacher, in the Transfiguration classroom alongside Albus Dumbledore.

"Today we are going to learn about Animagic," Dumbledore began. "Now, who here can tell me what an Animagical witch or wizard is?" A familiar hand was waving in the air before Dumbledore even had time to finish.

"Oh, must you know everything?" Sirius complained under breath.

Remus scowled. "If I know the answer, I will put up my hand." With that he reached, if possible, higher to the ceiling.

"Can't you give someone else a chance?" Sirius snapped.

"Put your own hand up then!" Remus snapped. "If you're so smart."

Sirius did so, standing up so he could reach past Remus. Remus growled softly & stood on his seat. Sirius snarled & stood on his desk. Remus stepped onto his own desk & stood on tiptoe, trying to pass Sirius who was a taller boy then he. Neither boy noticed that Dumbledore was watching the whole scenario, for they were by now, glaring daggers at each other & trying to reach higher then the other. Sirius was bouncing up & down as if trying to hit the ceiling. He missed his step & fell over right into Professor Shepherd's arms.

"That'll do," Dumbledore ordered as he strode over to them. "Step down Mr. Lupin. Now seeing as you're both claiming to be brilliant students, why don't you write an essay on Animagic for me as a detention this afternoon? Two rolls of parchment should do, wouldn't you agree? Ah, yes. Miss Evans?"

Everyone looked around. There was one other student in the whole wide school who could probably out-do Remus in studying. A fiery-haired Gryfindor girl by the name of Lily Evans who was also, much to her annoyance, James Potter's love interest.

"Thank you," Lily shot a glance at her rival, Remus Lupin, before continuing. "I'm surprised I was noticed at all what with him here." Remus focused on his desk, hating the fact that he was being out-done by a girl. He should have been answering this question, not her. "Anyway, as I was saying, an Animagic witch or wizard is someone who elects to become an animal. The Animage or Animagus does not choose what animal to turn into for it is based on personality & character of the person wishing to become an animal. Furthermore, it is illegal to practice such advanced magic without supervision for it can go seriously wrong. There are records of partial transformations in St. Mungo's Hospital. All those who have mastered the art of Animagic are registered, the markings & type of animal they turn into are recorded." Remus slid further down in his seat. He knew all this already. Why couldn't she just let him answer?

"Excellent," Dumbledore said when she was finished. "10 points to Gryfindor. Now, as you may or may not know, we have our own Animagus here with us. Rohan, if you will?" Everyone leaned forward excitedly. Professor Shepherd was an Animagical wizard?

"Now don't be frightened by what I turn into," Shepherd said. "Patches is a friendly animal." With that, he turned into a Giant Panda bear. Everyone 'Ooh-ed!' & clapped as 'Patches' stood up on his hind legs & waved with a big furry paw.

"I didn't know you were Chinese," Peter gaped when Shepherd turned back into a human.

"I'm not originally," Shepherd said. "I'm American but my family moved to China when I was a small boy to help with the Panda effort to keep them from extinction. I always fancied Pandas; I guess that's why I can finally turn into one."

"What happens is someone attempts Animagic without supervision?" Sirius asked.

"They'll probably end up in St. Mungo's," Shepherd said with a shrug.

"I meant," Sirius went on. "What if they accomplished it perfectly but got caught later. Is there a penalty for doing it illegally?"

"Not to bad," said Shepherd. "A month in Azkaban if they refuse to get registered. Or they can get registered & pay a fine of up to 1000 galleons. But that's never happened. It's a foolish thing to try Animagic on your own so don't get any ideas." He added with a laugh.

The next day, Sirius & James hurried down to the Quidditch change rooms for the game with Slytherin against Gryfindor. Sirius seemed lost in thought or else he would have noticed that he was trying to put his arm guards on his legs.

"What is it, Siri?" James finally asked.

"What? Oh," Sirius fumbled with the guards & at last realised that his arms did not go under his body where his legs were. "Nothing."

"You've been moping around all day," James pressed.

"Just thinking," Sirius began.

"Oi! I've enough thinking with Remus around," James teased. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Funny," Sirius snapped playfully as he snapped his guards in place, catching some of his own flesh. "Ouch!"

"Don't be such a baby," James muttered.

"I was just thinking of our transfiguration lesson yesterday," Sirius said suddenly.

"That sure was cool," James agreed. I didn't think Shepherd would do something like that."

"Same here, but that's not what I meant," Sirius said slowly. "It's just...uh well...never mind."

"What?"

"No," Sirius said stubbornly. "I'll tell you one day. Just not now." James was about to argue but Captain Cooper shooed them out to the Pitch for the game.

The fourteen plays, seven to a team, rose into the air, James & the Slytherins new Seeker, who was none other then Severus Snape took their positions above the game.

"Snivelus?" James stared.

"Shut up, Potty!" Snape retorted. "Not to confident now are you?" James put on a more-determined-then-ever face & sped of on the hunt for the Snitch.

"Am I seeing right?" Remus leaned over to Peter. "Snape's the new Slytherin Seeker?"

"Ohhh!" Peter squealed. "Look out Jim!" James swerved at the last minute, barely missing a bludger, one of the two black balls that the four beaters, two to a team used to try knocking the other team's players off. Mark Rodgers sent the bludger to the Slytherins, knocking off one of their chasers.

"Alright Sirius, let's go!" Anna Leanne caught his attention as she threw the Quaffle, a bright red ball about the size of an American soccer ball, in a backwards pass to him. He flew to the Slytherin end of the Pitch & aimed for the middle hoop, but the Slytherin Keeper blocked him, throwing the ball off-course. Sirius scowled for a moment before he noticed that Reginald Mantle had whacked the ball with the end of his broom back to the hoops & scored.

"Mark!" Sirius called as he flew past. "Nice shot for knocking out Malfoy! Think you can target my brother next?"

"Sure thing Sirius!" Mark flew off followed closely by Asher Chris.

There was another groan from the Slytherin stands as Regulus Black was hit with a bludger, though he didn't fall off. The bludger had hit him in the shoulder & shoved him sideways on his broom. Regulus righted himself & scowled at Sirius who threw back his had & barked out a laugh as he passed.

"What is it with those two?" Remus muttered.

Peter only shrugged. "There goes Jim & Snivelus!"

Everyone in Gryfindor held their breath as James dropped speedily to the ground, followed closely by Severus. James reached the Snitch first & somersaulted into a stop. Severus slammed into him & both went sprawling to the ground, James clutching the Snitch tightly in his left hand. Severus was knocked out with the impact & lay motionless on the ground.

"James Potter catches the Snitch again!" the commentator shouted. "Gryfindor wins!"

The rest of the team members landed beside James while the Slytherins landed further away, scowling. The Gryfindors piled into their change rooms, congratulating James yet again for his drop-like flying. James as usual, bragged to anyone who would listen about his stunt flying.

As the Gryfindor team entered the castle, Sirius noticed his brother clutching his arm on his way to the hospital wing. Severus had to be carried in & was set beside Lucius Malfoy who was already up & about.

"Have a nice time?" Sirius teased his brother as Remus shook his head disapprovingly. Regulus shot a glare at him before disappearing into the hospital.

"Hi, Sirius!"

Sirius turned around to see a 17-year-old Slytherin girl with long shiny black hair much like his own & almond eyes. It was Andromeda, one of Sirius's three cousins, who was the eldest sister of Bellatrix & Narcissa. She, like Sirius, had her loyalties outside the family & disapproved of the Dark Arts the other Blacks depended on. She, unlike Sirius, had more sense to keep her loyalties hidden & Sirius was the only one who knew Andromeda was going to flee the Black family as soon as she got the chance.

"Hi Andie!" Sirius bounded over to her.

"You play well," Andromeda began. "I see you're not being to easy on your little brother?" she winked.

"Eh, whatever," Sirius shrugged.

"I have a bit of a surprise for you," Andromeda held out her left hand. Sirius could see a shiny round thing on one of her fingers. "I'm getting married!"

"You are?" Sirius glared around. "To who?" he demanded, over-protectively.

"Shush!" Andromeda giggled. "You won't find Theodore Tonks here." She leaned in close to Sirius & whispered. "He's a muggle."

Sirius gaped. "Muggle?"

"Shhh! Not so loud!" Andromeda clapped her engaged hand over his mouth.

"MMRY MMM MSSSMMMPF!" Sirius pried himself away from her. "Sorry. Our family's going to kill you, & I'm afraid to say, I mean that literally."

"I know," Andromeda sighed. "That's why you're not to say anything. I'm out of here as soon as exams are done."

Sirius stared at the ground for a moment, suddenly feeling rather alone. "Am I ever going to see you again? Or are you & Teddy-bear running away?"

"Sirius Orion Black!" Andromeda put her hands on her hips. "He hates being called Teddy. Ted is acceptable." She ignored Sirius's muffled snickering. "You won't find me around the wizarding world for a while but I'll owl you & keep in touch. I know you spend most of your time with that Potter family; I'll send my owls there. Now run along to your friends," Andromeda waved her hand towards Peter, Remus & James. "They look like they're up to no good."

"Alright," Sirius shrugged. "Can we talk later?"

"Sure."

Sirius hurried back to his three friends who were grinning broadly. "What?"

"We just switched Sniv's Pepper up potion with a singing solution," Remus laughed.

"I wish we hadn't," James groaned. "Dreadful voice," Sure enough, Snape appeared moments later, trying desperately to keep his mouth shut but every so often he would break into song & sing off key, Jingle Bells, of all things.

"It's not even Christmas yet," Peter laughed as Sirius clapped his hand over his ears.

"I hate that song," Sirius muttered. "& Snivelus makes it ten times worse." He kept his hands pressed to his ears as he fled to Gryfindor Tower. "Urgh! Somebody shut him up!" Peter, James & Remus following behind, roaring with laughter.

After the usual heated tension between Gryfindor & Slytherin after a match calmed down, things went smoothly enough until a few days later in the Defense Against The Dark Arts class. This term, Professor Edward Johnson was showing them how to handle boggarts, a type of shape-shifter that lived in dark places such as closets or desk drawers. Johnson had found a boggart hiding in an old chest & had brought the chest to the classroom for the students to practice on. The chest thumped around as the boggart played inside, oblivious to the fact that it was being watched.

"Can anyone tell me what boggarts look like?" Johnson asked. Remus & Lily shot a glance at each other & then raced to put their hands in the air first. "Ah yes, Miss Evans?" Remus let his hand drop to his side & sighed dejectedly.

"No one knows," Lily began. "Boggarts are shape-shifters & take on the appearance of what one fears most."

"Good good," Johnson said. "5 points for Gryfindor. Now, can anyone tell me how best to deal with a boggart? Mr. Lupin?"

"Finally," Remus muttered under breath. "In a group, 'cause different people have different fears & so it'll confuse the boggart & drive it away."

"Another 5 points," Johnson awarded, making Remus smile importantly. "However, you can not just simply drive a boggart away. There is a very simple charm with which to actually repel a boggart. It forces the boggart to change from something you fear to something you find amusing. Laughter is what actually finishes a boggart. Now the spell is _Riddikulus_. Come now everyone. Practice saying it out loud." Johnson waited for the class to say it. Everyone pulled out their wands. "NO! NOT WITH YOUR—"

_**"**__Riddikulus!"_

"—oof—wands!" Johnson yelped as several blasts of the charm struck him. Dead silence followed as the students stared, horrified, at the thing that replaced their professor.

Whatever it happened to be was wearing a golden tutu, had hair that was white & curled like the judges in the supreme courts, sea-lion flippers for arms, a peacock's tail, a dolphin face, snake-like scales over most of its body & of all things a male killer whale dorsal fin jutting out of its back at least 8 feet.

Remus barely said it; like a whisper stolen from the lips by a timid summer breeze but everyone heard it. "Run." No one needed to be told twice. A moment later, there was a mad dash for the door as everyone scrambled to get out. Prefects, Professors & students of other years moving between their other classes flattened themselves against the walls as a noisy panicked blur fled past them for the doors to outside.

"Wasn't that the DaDa class for third years?" Jherek Snape suddenly asked. He glanced at Dumbledore who nodded back & they along with most of the other Professors hurried to the Dark Arts classroom.

"Edward?" Derek Clarkson, the Divination Professor, glanced around. "Edward?" He glanced around as what sounded like a dolphin started cackling. "E-E-Edward?" The dolphin-headed thing nodded.

"Good heavens," Rosalind Chao, the Herbology Professor, gasped. "What happened here?" The dolphin-headed thing just shrugged.

Dumbledore pointed his wand at it. "_Finite Incantations_."

"Thanks for that, Albus," Edward said once he was restored to normal. "Now, I would like to know where my class ran off to?"

"In a minute," Jherek stepped forward. "What happened?"

"Nothing really," Edward smiled sheepishly. "I was just teaching them the Riddikulus charm but they went ahead & practiced with their wands &...well...you saw what happened. Nothing to write home about. An honest mistake. So, uh, where are they?"

The Professors spent the better part of an hour looking for the missing third years. They were hiding under the bridge by the way that led to Hagrid's hut, holding each other tightly. Some were sobbing quietly.

"That's it," Remus hiccoughed a bit. "We're done for."

"We're going to die," Sirius sighed.

"They're going to expel us, first," Severus curled up into a tighter ball.

"We're going to die," Sirius said again.

"I don't want to go to Azkaban," Amanda hugged Alice tighter as Lily tried to move even closer.

"We're going to die," Sirius said again.

"I'll have to live like a muggle," Alice sobbed. "My wand will be snapped. That's it for m-m-m-me."

"We're going to die."

"Dammit Black!" James snapped. "Will you stop saying that?"

"It's true," Sirius defended & went back to droning out, "We're going to die."

"Well, there you are," Dumbledore smiled back at numerous teary pairs of eyes shining slightly in the twilight.

"We're going to die!" This time it was James that said it.

"Well come on out," Sara Ferns, Ancient Runes Professor, encouraged. "It's all right. Don't be afraid."

Slowly, cautiously, the third year Gryfindors & Slytherins pulled themselves out from under the bridge. "A-A-Are we gonna die?" Frank Longbottom asked in a small scared voice.

"But of course not," Edward laughed slightly. "Let's get back to the castle. It's nearly supper time so we'll try this again tomorrow." He lead the way & the students slowly followed, not sure if they heard right. So there was no punishment involved this time? "But without wands!" Johnson added hastily, settling the matter right then & there.


	4. Choosing Ranks, Taking Sides

**(4) Choosing Ranks, Taking Sides**

For over a week, most Third Years jumped whenever a teacher asked them to pull out their wands. In Charms, Professor Adelhide had asked them to practise the stunning charm but it was a good ten minutes before anyone had the nerve to pull out a wand. They were most terrified however; in the DaDa class, for Professor Johnson was the one they had transfigured. Johnson decided to just put the boggart away, out of sight out of mind, until his students were confident enough again to use their wands during class.

Sirius remarked again & again, "I can't believe we're still alive." until James finally lost it.

"Will you shut up?" It was a direct order & Sirius finally sank into silence.

In Divination, the Third Years felt safer, for they didn't need wands so much as an open mind. This term, they were studying Ornithomancy, which was the practise of foretelling events from the use of birds. Lily Evans as usual, nearly tied with Remus for the top of the class but, oddly enough, so did Peter Pettigrew, who was normally not the brightest of students. Perhaps it was because he had a liking for birds. "At least they don't try to eat me," Peter muttered one day. Remus smiled to himself, remembering all to well during detention a while back, with the Thestrals.

Another Quidditch game came & went; this time between Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw won, meaning that House would go against Slytherin next. The winning team of Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin would face Gryfindor in the final game at the end of the year.

After the game, James, Peter, Sirius & Remus headed for their favorite beech tree by the lake. There was a small group of First & Second Year students already playing under it. James & Sirius glared at each other with resolute determination & Peter perked up a bit, knowing what that look meant.

"Uh-oh," Remus rolled his eyes & whispered to Peter when James & Sirius had gone up ahead. "I smell trouble."

James cleared his throat loudly as he approached, head in the air. "Well well, what's going on here?"

"I don't know, Jim," Sirius answered, smiling evilly. "Looks a little crowded, don't you think?"

"Exactly!" James stopped smiling at his friend & started glaring at the little whippersnappers under 'his' tree.

"What do you want?" asked a rather timid Second Year boy.

"I want to sit under my tree with my friends," James demanded, glaring daggers from his hazel eyes.

"I don't see your name on it," a girl declared.

"That's because it's invisible," Sirius said & James hid a snort. "Only friends can see it!"

"We were here first!" the boy exclaimed.

"That's a lie," James snapped. "We were here first, since three years ago. Now move!"

"But-" the boy began.

"You heard him," Sirius said. "Get going!"

"Come on, Davey," the girl pulled him back. "They're just a couple of stupid big boys. Let's go."

"What did you call us?" James blocked her way. "You saying we're stupid? We're not the ones sitting under other people's trees!"

"Like I said," the girl snapped. "I don't see your name on it so who's to say it's your tree?"

James scoffed. "The whole school knows me & my boys sit here every day. Just ask anyone around."

"I don't care!" Davey snapped, stepping closer to James. "You've no right to boss us!"

James scowled & stepped closer to Davey. "I have every right. Now move!"

"No," Davey said simply.

"_Rictusempra_!" Sirius sent Davey sailing backwards several feet.

"Thank you Siri-UH!" James suddenly yelped as some charm hit him. "What was th-oh oh ow...!" James lay on the ground, curled up in a ball & rolled back & forth with his arms wrapped around his stomach.

"What did you do to him?" Sirius demanded.

"_Reducio_ charm," Davey shrugged.

"But he's already normal size," Sirius fumed. The _Reducio _charm was supposed to shrink back to normal anything that had been affected by the _Engorgio _charm, which was to maximize the size of an object. "You might have killed him!"

Sirius forgot about wands & threw himself on Davey. The two went rolling past James who was still moaning in pain. Remus tended to James, knowing better then to try & stop Sirius from fighting as Peter watched the two pounding each other in mild fascination.

"What's going on here?" shrieked an all to familiar female voice. James made his moaning more pitiful, hoping she'd hear him. "Lupin, what's wrong with him?" Lily pointed at James.

"Err..." Remus was slightly put off by having his last name barked out in such an accusing voice. Only his mother was supposed to do that. "_Reducio_ charm hit him in the—."

"He'll live!" Lily interrupted waspishly & marched away to the tangle that was Sirius Black & Davey Gudgeon.

Remus glared after her. "Who does she think she is?"

"Sweet Mother of Merlin!" James moaned a little to loudly in one last attempt to get Lily to watch over him.

"Quite right," Remus muttered, still glaring at Lily who was trying to pull Sirius off. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

"Leave him alone!" Lily yelled.

"Get off me, Evans," Sirius demanded, throwing himself back on Davey.

"You watch how you talk to me, you useless boy," Lily ordered. She tried to reach Davey & pull him away but Sirius blocked her. "_Oppugno_." A flock of tiny birds burst from her wand & attacked Sirius, pecking furiously.

"Hey hey! Ow-w-w!" Sirius waved his hands around his head, trying to throw them off. The birds faded after a few moments, leaving little marks on his face, but the few moments gave Lily enough time to snatch Davey away. Sirius stood up sharply only to find her wand aimed right between his eyes. "Smart move, girl!" Sirius snapped. "The attack charm. Next time I'll just use it. Oh & I'm not useless."

"Could have fooled me," Lily scowled, her green eyes deeper then normal. "Picking on younger kids. I've never been so appalled! Why I should just—ugh!" Lily threw her hands up in despair & then turned to the shaking Second Year boy. "Davey dear, are you alright?" Davey could only nod, then seeing his chance, he fled past Sirius & towards the castle, his friends following close behind.

Lily rounded back on Sirius, who gulped. Sirius was in a rather bad fix. One, he really couldn't strike a girl. Two, even if he could James would have killed him & three, Lily Evans wasn't scared of him at all. She looked at him as if he were a slug that was doomed to get squashed into the pavement.

"Well?" Lily's snapping brought Sirius out of his stunned daze.

"W-What?" Sirius said stupidly.

"Get lost!" Lily ordered.

"R-right." Sirius stammered. "O-Of course." He turned to leave but was blocked by a body. A bigger body. An adult-who's-most-likely-a-Professor body. Davey peered out from behind this body, looking scared.

"Miss Evans," Professor Clarkson, the Divination Seer, nodded. "I heard that someone was fighting over here?"

"Yes, sir!" Lily straightened up importantly as Sirius wished more & more that he was a slug that was doomed to get squashed into the pavement. "Potter started it with Black helping him out; however, I think Potter got his just reward." Lily motioned to the still crumpled up Gryfindor Seeker.

"And Mr. Pettigrew? Lupin?" Clarkson glared around.

"I was just watching," Peter shrugged. "Sir."

"Why didn't you stop it?" Clarkson raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not big enough, sir." Peter hung his head. He was rather short for his age. "Not for all three of them."

"No, you're not, I suppose," Clarkson sighed.

"I was to busy trying to figure out what was wrong with Jim," Remus added & turned back to his friend on the ground while keeping his back to the Professor, assuming the conversation was over. Clarkson was about to continue interrogating Remus, but then decided against it, getting an odd feeling that it was intentional. He conjured a stretcher to put the limp James on it & carried him to the hospital calling over his shoulder, "Detention for you, Black!" Sirius groaned.

James was laid in bed & giving a reviving potion & a regeneration potion for some of his insides had shrunk slightly. He was then given a sleeping draught so he could rest while healing. When James had nodded off, Clarkson pulled Dr. Cross aside.

"I think we may have a problem," Clarkson began in a low tone.

"Yes, I quite agree, Derek," Cross said with a soft laugh. "& it's name is James Potter. And don't forget the problem named Sirius Black."

Clarkson smiled slightly. "I suppose, but that's not what I mean, David. It's Lupin, actually."

Dr. Cross looked around & then whispered. "Please tell me he didn't infect anyone?"

"No," Clarkson sighed. "No, but the way he treated me outside a few moments ago." He went on to explain how Remus had taken initiative & had ignored him to look after James.

"He's packing," Cross said after a moment.

"What?" Clarkson asked. "I didn't know he was leaving. What happened?"

"Wolves pack together, Derek," Cross corrected. "It sounds like Lupin might be developing into an Alpha & probably considers Potter & his two minions as his pack."

"I was afraid something like this might happen," Clarkson said. "When I saw him following Potter, Black & Pettigrew around, I was hoping had become an Omega or perhaps a Beta."

"He'd have to mate one of them to be a Beta," Cross smiled lightly making Clarkson snicker softly. "But nothing's stopping him from trying to turn one of them into his Beta."

"Or Miss Evans," Clarkson added. "She'd be a more likely choice. That girl is always trying to put a stop to these guys, bossing them & all; that has a certain appeal to Alpha wolves."

"If that's true," Cross sighed. "Then we have a bigger problem then Potter & Black put together. I'll have to check Lupin first, gauge his reactions & all. He's hardly a puppy anymore, after all. Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later."

"What about when he is old enough for a mate?" Clarkson suddenly asked.

"I don't want to even try thinking of that," Cross groaned.

"Maybe we should try to find a young female Lycan," Clarkson suggested.

"Absolutely not," Cross almost snapped. "That would be a complete disaster! First off, we're not sure if he is an Alpha yet & even if we did, if we brought a female of the wrong rank, he would either try to kill her or just ignor her. Besides, I don't think even Lupin has decided whether he wants a female or male partner or maybe just stay single."

"All wolves I've seen have females," Clarkson shrugged.

"Yes, but all wolves you've seen aren't all wolves of the universe now are they?" Cross said with a smug smile.

"Alright, whatever," Clarkson held up a hand. "I'll send Lupin in as soon as I see him. Right now, I've got to decide what to do for Black's detention."

"Lock him up with Argus," Cross laughed. "Seeing how Argus just loves children!" Argus Filch was the caretaker for Hogwarts Castle & was known through the whole school as the universe's nastiest man.

"Funny," Clarkson snickered as he left. He had hardly gotten out of the door when someone walked into him.

"I'm sorry, Derek," Professor Chao grumbled. "Not watching where I'm going."

"Quite alright, Rosalind," Clarkson said.

"I just have five tubs of dragon manure to empty into the gardens," Chao sighed. Being the Herbology Professor was never easy. "It has to be done by Monday or I might lose the young plants. Ah, I know Regulus Black is due for a detention. I'll get him to help me over the weekend."

Clarkson thought a moment. "Take Sirius Black as well," he suddenly said.

"What's Sirius got to do with it?" Chao muttered, straightening out her hair.

"I just caught him in a fight with a younger boy," Clarkson explained. "I assigned him to detention so maybe you could take him. Let the boys do your plants by themselves."

"That's a brilliant idea," Chao exclaimed. "There's so many other things I can do."

"What did the younger one do anyway?" Clarkson asked.

Chao hesitated. "Apparently, he's been picking on some poor...muggleborn...girl. Lucky Jherek caught him when he did."

"I don't talk bad of the students but," Clarkson paused. "Well, when you're dealing with the Black family, well-well, it's... to be expected."

"I don't know," Chao shrugged. "Sirius is so opposite his younger brother. I think he'll turn out just fine."

"Perhaps," Clarkson said. "So when do you want the Black brothers to arrive?"

"Saturday afternoon," Chao said. "They can tend to the gardens for one day."

"Alright then," Clarkson agreed. "Well, I need to find Lupin." He hurried on his way & soon located Remus in a very familiar place, the library, alongside Peter & Sirius. "Ah, Mr. Black, you are to go to the greenhouses on Saturday. Professor Chao has some plants for you to attend."

"I hate gardening," Sirius muttered.

"Mr. Lupin," Clarkson went on as if he didn't hear Sirius. "Please come with me."

"Where are we going?" Remus asked once the library door had closed.

"The hospital," Clarkson said simply.

"James?" Remus yelped. "What happened? Is he alright?"

"He's fine," Clarkson assured. "Dr. Cross just asked to see you for a moment."

"I didn't hex James," Remus declared quickly.

"It's not about Potter," Clarkson said. "Just go inside. Dr. Cross is waiting for you."

Remus stepped inside & noticed the curtains had been pulled around one bed in the far corner. Assuming it was James, he hurried over & pulled back the curtain a crack to check. James was still sleeping so Remus let the curtains close & then sat on the bed opposite his friend to wait. He noticed Clarkson talking to Dr. Cross briefly before leaving & then Cross came towards him.

"Well now," Cross began. "Clarkson has just been telling me you're rather eager to know about your friend?"

"Of course," Remus said as this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I've also been told of another incident earlier today?" Cross pressed.

"I wasn't fighting," Remus defended.

"No, no, not that," Cross tried to explain. "Apparently, you turned away & ignored Clarkson before he was finished talking to you?"

"I was busy," Remus said. "James was more important at that moment."

"Hmm, I see," Cross was lost in thought for a while.

"Am I in detention right now?" Remus brought him back to reality.

"What? Uh, no," Cross sighed.

"Then why are you acting like I'm in trouble?"

"Nothing of the sort," Cross said. "It's something else. Tell me, how was your vision when you turned back to your friend."

"I could see clearly," Remus half-smiled.

"Mr. Lupin," Cross prompted.

Remus stared at the floor. "Well, everything was slightly yellow for a moment." Remus watched Cross's reaction with growing concern. "But it didn't really wake up." he added hastily.

"How do you feel around Black & Pettigrew?" Cross went on.

"They need constant looking after," Remus groaned. "Always causing trouble. It's like trying to take care of a litter of pups!"

"I see," said Cross with a slight frown. This conversation was not going the way he wanted it too; though, he had expected something like this. "Poppy?" he called for the younger help-nurse, Madam Pomfrey. "Keep an eye on him." Poppy watched as Cross reached slowly for Remus's face. "Don't you bite, now," he said softly as Remus growled quietly. "This won't hurt." Cross slowly pushed back Remus's upper lip, paused for a moment to inspect something & then pushed down the bottom lip for a moment. "Hmm, the tips are finally transparent." he said after releasing Remus.

"What?"

"The tips of your fangs," Cross said. "Slightly transparent. A bit honey colored, too."

"Meaning?" Remus demanded in a slightly authorative voice. _Au nom de Merlin, qu'est-ce qui ce passe?_ (_What in Merlin's name was going on?)_

"You're becoming an adult werewolf," Madam Pomfrey said quietly. "Your fangs are filling wit the venom of Lycanthropy now. Be very careful how you use them, now more then ever."

"I thought I could always infect someone," said Remus, trying not to think of what happened his first Full Moon.

"No," Cross sighed. "Pups can't do much but bite & scratch. Even when they transform on Full Moon, they can't really do much. Kill perhaps, but not curse someone."

"I see," Remus stared at the floor again. _C'est pas surprennant que Rom ne ressemblait pas a un loup-garou._ (_No wonder Rom didn't look like a werewolf.)_

"Why don't you run back to the library?" Cross suggested after an awkward moment. "I'm finished here, for now." Remus merely nodded, got up & walked briskly out the door.

"Did you notice his eyes, David?" Pomfrey asked when Remus was gone. "When you checked his fangs?"

"I did indeed, Poppy," Cross stood up. "A flash of deep yellow, almost like Egyptian golden."

"So he's an Alpha," Pomfrey stated.

"Positive," Cross agreed.

Remus stood, dazed, for a moment outside the hospital wing. So he hadn't been able to curse anyone after all. But that was changing now & changing fast. Remus buried his face in his hands & let out a moan. What was happening to him? What was going to happen? Would he be expelled now that he truly was...a monster?

Not knowing what else to do, he ran from the hospital's door & fled outside. Remus stopped a moment to catch his breath before picking up pace again. He ran down the slopes of Hogwarts' grounds, heading for the lake.

"Remus? Remus!"

Remus spun around to stare under the big beech tree & found Sirius & Peter lounging underneath it. Sirius called him again but Remus just turned & continued running.

"Remus, will you wait up please?" Sirius demanded as he finally caught up. He gasped for air as he had just run nearly halfway around the lake & only managed to catch Remus when the werewolf had tripped over a root near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. "Where are you going?"

Remus stood up but stared at the ground & murmured, "Just leave me alone."

"What?" Sirius spluttered. "Why? What's wrong-you can't go in there!" He grabbed Remus's arm as he had turned to enter the Forest. "It's not called Forbidden Forest for nothing. That's an evil place, that is."

"You've no idea," Remus agreed, snapping his arm out of Sirius's vice-like grip before fleeing into the Forest. Sirius felt he had no choice but to follow. The forest gnarly trees almost immediately blocked out the light & Sirius couldn't see three feet in front of him. He was beginning to feel a little uneasy as well for, truth be told, this place was enough to give anyone the creeps.

"Remus, get back here right now," Sirius ordered, hoping he'd answer in the darkness.

"Stay away from me, Sirius!" Remus sobbed from somewhere up ahead.

"Why?" Sirius called. He had to keep Remus talking for there was no other way to find him. Sirius thought about using Lumos but what if some wild animal caught sight of the light & came to eat him?

"Just go away!" Remus screamed nearby, making Sirius leap out of his skin. "Don't you get it? I don't want to talk to you!"

"Why?" Sirius asked again as he heard movement to his left. He hoped it was only Remus moving around. "What I do?" The moving creature's sounds faded in the distance. "Remus? Remus. Come on! Remus? Where are you?" Sirius stopped yelling for it was clear Remus was no longer answering him. Then it dawned on him & Sirius asked himself quietly, "Ok, where am I?" Having no other choice but to get out of the Forest, Sirius set his wand to _Lumos_ & noticed a small path leading back the way he had come. He found his way out fifteen minutes later & hurried to the beech tree. "Pete, we need to go into the forest. Remus is in there somewhere."

"No actually, I just saw him running back to the castle," said Peter.

"What?" Sirius gaped. "Hurry up, then!" he snapped impatiently & pulled Peter to the castle.

"Guys," James called as soon as they entered. "Wait!" He limped over, massaging his stomach that was still a bit soar.

"You Ok?" Peter asked & James nodded.

"Come on," Sirius hopped around. "I need to find Remus."

"Actually, he ran right past me," James said. "Didn't even notice I was up or anything."

"He's upset about something I did," Sirius said, marching straight for the library. Remus, however, was not in the library nor was he in any of the empty classrooms & he did not come to the Great hall for supper half an hour later. James, Peter & Sirius pocketed some sandwiches & got a few chocolate bars from the kitchens before heading to the common room. Remus was nowhere in sight & no one seemed to have seen him. Sirius stared at the black blob in the fire that was Remus's owl, Nightstalker. "I bet it had something to do with Regulus," he suddenly said.

"Most likely," James agreed.

"I'll check our dorm," Sirius suddenly stood up & disappeared up stairs. Sure enough he found Remus lying in bed, though he was snoring a little to loudly to be convincible. Sirius turned to leave, decided against it & instead sat down on Remus's bed. "_Ah le ferme, Rem,"_ ("Ah shut up, Rem,") Sirius ordered when Remus gave a ridiculously loud snore.

"Go away," Remus muttered.

"What did Regulus do?" Sirius demanded.

"Nothing."

"Remus."

"Nothing."

"Fine," Sirius gave up. "What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"What did James or Peter do?"

"Nothing."

"What did Clarkson do?"

"Nothing!"

"Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall," Sirius groaned.

"Noth—so what?" Remus sat up & pulled his knees up to chest. "I said I don't want to talk. I didn't say you or anyone else did anything."

"But—"

"Sirius," Remus shushed him. "I'm not allowed to talk of it, so just drop it, alright?"

"Remus," Sirius began, turning to stare in the darkness towards his friend's general direction. He stopped short when he noticed two small slightly glowing orbs, sometimes blinking out & then coming right back to light. Remus sighed & moved to lie back down & the two small orbs moved with him. "Fine," Sirius gave up. "I've got a detention to worry about tomorrow. We'll talk later...or not!" he added hastily as those two odd orbs seemed to pick him out. Sirius got up & left, feeling thoroughly creeped out. First the Forest & now this. Where those Remus's eyes? Actually glowing, something like a cat?

Sirius didn't mention the little glowing orbs to anyone. Neither did he think about them further for he was stuck doing gardening of all things, for a detention with his brother Regulus Black, of all people. Sirius was in a very bad mood.

"You! Stay on your own side!" Sirius snapped, grabbing a little too much dragon manure with his gloved hands & cramming it all into the pot.

"I'm not coming over there," Regulus snapped back. "I already know you stink. You don't need to dress yourself in dragon manure to prove it." Sirius scowled & tossed a rather large clump over the bin of dragon manure. It landed directly on Regulus's head. "Oi!" He yelped. Sirius only laughed. "Fine! Have it your way, brother." Regulus grabbed a pile & threw it with all his might. Sirius's face was plastered.

Sirius somehow managed to locate a watering can & spilled the contents of it over his head. "I hate Snivelus. I hate Jingle Bells. I hate gardening, but I hate you twice as much as any of those things put together!"

"I like you no better," Regulus sneered. They continued potting seedling plants for the next half hour in silence, each waiting for the other to reach boiling point & snap.

Sirius straightened up for a moment to stretch out as he stared out the window. A torrent of rain fell in sheets & it was getting cold outside. Inside the Greenhouses though, it was warm as summer. The plants they were repotting were Christmas poinsettias which, when mature, would shoot out colorful sparkles at passers-by. Sirius turned to watch his younger brother struggling to pull up a rather stubborn plant. "Merlin, I hate being a Black."

"W-What?" Regulus yelped as the plant came free & he tumbled backwards.

"I said," Sirius waited for Regulus to right himself before continuing. "I hate being a Black."

Regulus let his plant drop into a new pot with a thud & turned to face his brother. "Now you listen to me," he began.

"No," Sirius interrupted. "You listen to me. I don't know why you're so proud of our family. All us Blacks ever do is put down everyone else. Always wishing death on those of muggle lines. Always ready to support the next uprising of Dark Wizards. I suppose Mom & Dad just can't wait to get their hands on this Voldemort guy." Sirius stopped talking to stare out the window again.

Regulus slowly moved closer to him & looked at Sirius with almost a sort of fondness. "Sirius, I've heard you out just now. So you owe me the same favor?" Sirius groaned but nodded so Regulus went on. "When we were little, I always sort of looked up to you. Then you met that Potter boy & you well, you basically abandoned me." Regulus stopped suddenly as Sirius turned to glare at him, but remained silent. "Don't get me wrong," Regulus went on cautiously. "I know the Potters are purebloods & so is Peter Pettigrew, come to think of it. You should however, try to distance yourself from that mud-" Regulus stopped again as Sirius narrowed his eyes. "Alright," Regulus rolled his eyes. "For your sake, I will use a...civil...word. The muggleborn, Lupin, just stay away from him. I'm not asking you to kill him or anything, just don't associate with him."

"Reggie, don't be stupid," Sirius interrupted.

"Listen Sirius," Regulus went on imploringly. "There's something going on you don't know. You didn't make it to Slytherin but I did. I know what's going on. Voldemort isn't just the next uprising that will fail; he's the real thing. Some of the older kids even refer to him as 'Master!' I'm not too sure why but I'm bound to find out soon enough. Lord Voldemort is uniting all purebloods together. A war is coming Sirius & soon, very soon. In fact, I think we'll still be in school when he strikes. Mud-muggleborns will go down first. After that, anyone who associates with muggleborns will be destroyed. That's why I or even Mom, don't want you around Lupin. You'll only get hurt in more ways then one. There's something else too. Something's odd about that kid. He could be dangerous. We Slytherins talk about him a lot & well, just stay away from him. Do like what Andromeda did. She's getting married you know, to a pure man, her exact words."

Sirius smiled inwardly. Andromeda was most likely referring to the pureness of heart when referring to Ted Tonks.

"I'm worried about you," Regulus went on. "Please promise me, you'll think about what I said?"

"Think yes," Sirius agreed. "But I doubt I'll agree."

"You'll be picking the wrong side," Regulus warned.

"At least I won't end up in Azkaban," Sirius snapped.

"Is that what you're worried about?" Regulus smiled softly. "It's alright. Lord Voldemort just recently gained control of the Dementors." With that, Regulus turned to finish potting his last plant & then left Sirius alone in the Greenhouse to think on that.


	5. Hogsmeade Pranks

**(5) Hogsmeade Pranks**

Towards the end of October, Professor Johnson finally decided to take out the boggart again, though he made it clear not to use wands until told to do so. That said, the students were ordered to form a line. James & Sirius shoved their way to the front; although, Lily Evans was first in line. She rolled her eyes when she saw who was behind her.

While Johnson explained once more the Riddikulus charm, Sirius leaned closer to James. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Yes," James breathed softly.

"Well, then," Sirius smiled mischievously. "Prove it to her."

"How?"

Sirius glanced around. "Push on her back. Pet her hair or something."

"Sirius!" James hissed in a whisper.

Sirius snickered behind his hand. "Well?"

"Fine," James gave in. "But I'll blame you if she gets mad." With that, he glanced around & reached out to stroke Lily's long flaming hair down her back, ignoring Sirius's sudden look of horror.

"James Potter!" Lily screeched & whirled around, glaring. James looked shell-shocked & merely lifted a finger to point at Sirius.

"Is there something you'd like to say, Miss Evans?" Johnson asked with a hint of accusation in his voice.

"Yes!" Lily snapped. "Potter just touched me."

"It was Sirius, I swear," James smiled innocently.

"Don't you lie to me!" Lily raged.

"Professor?" James looked imploringly at Johnson while Sirius blinked like an idiot, trying to come up with a way to get the Professor to believe Lily.

"I don't care who did it," Johnson began. "It is impolite to grab girls like that. Detention for both of you! Now, please step up to the trunk in turn. Miss Evans?"

Lily sent a 'Ha!-Serves-you-right!' smile to the boys & stepped forward. She began to think of what might scare her most. Snakes perhaps? Or maybe spiders? Not being too sure of what she'd see, Lily nodded for the boggart's release.

The boggart first changed into a snake but before Lily had time to cast the charm, it changed into her. The boggart Lily ran around screaming, "No! No! I won't marry you, Potter! I won't marry you! Go away, Potter! Go away!"

Most of class roared with laughter while James looked more & more like a fish, opening & closing his mouth as he tried to think of something to say. The real Lily looked absolutely livid. "_Riddikulus_!" Lily ordered & the boggart turned back into a snake that would form letters of the alphabet.

"Wonderful, Lily," Johnson said. "Black, you're next."

Sirius hesitated before stepping forward, knowing full well what the boggart would turn into. His father was the worst person to be with when in a bad mood & would use force on anyone who would oppose him. Sirius & even Regulus, learned to be afraid of their Dad from a young age & he had no idea of how to make his father funny.

The boggart turned into Orion Black & loomed over Sirius. "GO TO YOUR ROOM NOW OR YOU'LL WISH YOU HAD! I'VE NEVER BEEN SO ASHAMED OF A SON IN ALL MY LIFE! YOU ARE-!"

"_Riddikulus_!" Sirius tried to shut the boggart up before the whole class heard everything. He only succeeded in changing the boggart to his mother's appearance.

"USELESS! REBELLIOUS! MY OWN SON! MUDB-!"

"_Riddikulus_!" this time it was Professor Johnson who had stepped in front of Sirius. "Don't worry, Mr. Black, something's aren't worth laughing at. Mr. Potter, you're next." As James stood in front of the boggart, Johnson whispered to Sirius, "Stay after class a moment."

"_Riddikulus_," James ordered & Sirius turned around just in time to see a Rottwieler start dancing on two legs.

"You're afraid of dogs?" Sirius asked as James moved over for the next in line, Frank Longbottom.

"Only big ones," James shrugged as he watched Longbottom try to expel a boggart that had changed into long vines that were creeping up his legs. Peter Pettigrew was next & he tried three times before making a swarm of rats disappear.

"Mr. Lupin," Johnson called.

Remus stepped forward slowly. The boggart, which was at this point, a large tap-dancing rodent, turned on him. It became a glowing orb. Remus nervously glanced behind him to see if anyone had recognized it but no one seemed to notice. "_Riddikulus._" The boggart turned into a balloon & zoomed around as it deflated.

It landed in front of both Amanda Shores & Alice Jay. By now, the boggart was getting confused, as thee was a large group surrounding it. Alice & Amanda aimed their wands for it & the boggart tried changing into a snake & a swarm of bees at the same time but couldn't do two things at once. It ended up turning into half a slug, not remotely frightening at all.

"At last," Johnson said. "It's been confused. Go on, Mr. Chris, finish him off!" Asher Chris stepped up to the half-slug which tried turning into a dragon. It ended up exploding in a ball of smoke.

"Wonderful, well done," Johnson said as he dismissed the class. "Ah yes, Mr. Black. I would like to talk to you about your boggart."

Sirius stared at the floor. "They're the only things that really scare me."

"You're parents are very strict, aren't they?" Johnson asked.

"Like a straight-jacket," Sirius shrugged. "But they also like the Dark Arts & since I'm not interested..."

"They see you as a wayward son," Johnson finished.

Sirius just nodded. "My stupid brother has been thoroughly brainwashed by them."

"Never mind it," Johnson said. "I won't put you & a boggart in front of the class again. Now," he got up & stretched a bit. "I need to set a detention for you & your friend."

"It was James that did it," Sirius declared.

"Really now?" Johnson raised an eyebrow. "And who told him to do that?" Sirius again, found the floor to be very interesting. "Though so. Now, run along to your next class."

Sirius hurried to catch up to James & Peter. "Where's Remus?"

"Up ahead," James said. "He was the first one out of class."

"Did you see what he was afraid of?" Peter asked. "Glowing orbs."

"I'll bet it was the full moon," Sirius nodded. "Now it's out in the open for anyone who'd notice."

James nodded & said, "I got a little something for the Slytherins."

When the Slytherins & Gryfindors took their seats for Potions, Severus Snape found a small envelope on his desk. He decided to open it now, as class wouldn't be starting for another minute or so.

_Severus, some wise guy told me this riddle & I can't figure it out. Can you get it? Supposed to be something similar in these lines, Lucius. _

_What Larry likes: _

_Larry likes swimming but not water  
likes running but not walking  
likes trees but not forests  
likes wood but not fire _

_There's more but I can't think of them all._

Severus raised one eyebrow, then another. "What are you playing at, Lucius?" he decided to ask Regulus after class for at that moment, his father came in & class began.

They were practising the Invisible Potion that would make the drinker Invisible for five minutes. Remus & Lily of course, had done theirs perfectly, James & Sirius managed just fine but Peter's potion was by now an opaque blue instead of dark violet. Remus helped him try to fix it whenever possible. In the end when they were able to try it, Peter had parts of him disappear while Frank Longbottom lost his head with the rest of his body in full view. James disappeared only for two minutes but Sirius never reappeared in class, though there were two ice-blue eyes floating around. Only Remus & Lily stayed completely invisible for exactly five minutes.

"Any idea where Sirius went?" James asked after they left.

"I'm right here."

"Where?"

"Here," Sirius groaned. "I'm the only wall with eyeballs." James looked around to find two blue eyes blinking at him from the wall. At that moment, the potion failed & Sirius returned to normal, leaning on the wall. "Merlin that felt weird."

"And it looked no less," James said shakily.

"Wonder how Sniv's doing?" Peter nodded to the oily haired Slytherin. Severus was at that time, talking to Regulus Black & pouring over a small piece of parchment.

James laughed. "They'll never get it. This time tomorrow, the whole of Slytherin House will be racking their brains over that stupid riddle."

"What does Larry like anyway?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know," James shrugged. "Ask Remus."

"I'm not answering," Remus stated with a tone of finality. "Ask others, maybe they can help you." With that, he walked away nose in the air & laughing.

"Great," James groaned. This prank was not going as planned for Remus had suddenly turned it on them as well. "Let's wait a bit. Maybe those stupid snakes will figure it out & we'll get wind of it."

"And if we don't?" Sirius asked.

"Strangle Remus," James declared.

A few days later near Halloween, the decorations of black & orange went up as live bats fluttered through the castle. The Great Hall was lit only by a few hundred or so floating pumpkins carved into Jack-O'-Lanterns that glowed eerily in the dimness. James & Sirius had been set to the task of carving each & every one of them without magic for their detention. In their frustration, they had cut some rather grotesque faces. The students could be found one afternoon, gathered in groups & talking excitedly.

"Wonder what's going on?" James asked aloud.

"Don't know," Sirius shrugged. "Maybe they figured out the riddle by now." He glanced at Remus who only smiled & turned away.

By now, the whole of Slytherin House was trying to figure it out even though Severus had at last realised it wasn't Lucius Malfoy who gave him the letter. Severus knew it was probably James & Sirius but he didn't dare go near them, knowing they'd only pick on him again. It wouldn't have mattered though, for James & Sirius didn't know anyway.

As one of the groups of students cleared, Peter noticed a large poster with the words Hogsmeade Village on it. "We get to go this year!"

"Cool," James hopped around for a moment.

"Sirius?"

"Hi Andie," Sirius waved to his favorite cousin.

Andromeda came over & read over the poster. "Siri, did you get you Mom to sign your form?" Those who intended to go to Hogsmeade had to have a Form Of Permission signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Sirius stared at the ground a moment. "No...but Mrs. Potter did."

"Mrs. Potter isn't your guardian," Andromeda stated matter-of-factly.

"No, I mean, she stomped over to my house & forced Mom to sign it," Sirius explained.

"I see," Andromeda sighed. "That's good. I'll see you there then."

After she left, James turned to Sirius. "Snivelus is going to. I've an idea to make his first day—how should I say it? Memorable?" Sirius grinned & motioned for Peter & Remus to join in the plan.

October 31 in the afternoon, everyone who was 3rd Year & up handed over their forms & headed for Hogsmeade. Just as they went through the gates & stepped into Hogsmeade, Sirius noticed Severus up ahead & winked at James.

"Oi, Snivelus," James began. "Sirius & I got the Invisible Man!" He & Sirius walked to Severus, each linking an arm with an 'invisible man' between them.

Caught off guard, Severus said without thinking, "Really I've never seen...him." James & Sirius rolled around on the ground, laughing their hardest yet. Severus muttered under breath as he stomped off. "Can't believe I fell for that one." The only thing to be happy about was that his two best friends, Lucius & Regulus weren't around to tease him for Lucius was far up ahead & Regulus wasn't even in Hogsmeade yet, being only twelve.

The Marauders first went to Honeydukes to feed the sweet teeth of Peter & Remus. There were even more candies on the store's shelves then they had found in the boxes of the cellar by using the secret passage. Peter stuffed both himself & his pockets with licorice wands, Berti Botts Every Flavor beans, Pumpkin Pastries & just about everything else. Remus was pickier, looking over carefully one chocolate box & another & tried the various free samples at the counter as if he were a wine taster. In the end, Remus bought what he liked best out of the chocolate, several enormous slabs of Honeydukes Bars, as well as a dozen two-inch-diameter balls of chocolate stuffed with strawberry mousse. James & Sirius led the way out of the store with Peter close behind. Remus became distracted with yet another variety of chocolate...

James & Sirius were desperate for the Quality Quidditch Supplies store & ogled the newest broom, the Red Shooting Star. James got a polishing kit for his broom & Sirius got some extra twigs for the tail of his broom was getting thin.

They were on they're way to Zonko's Joke Shop when James finally noticed someone was missing. "Where's Remus?"

"We lost him," Peter shrugged. "Somewhere in Honeydukes. He's marrying a new chocolate bar."

"Say no more, Pete," James held up a hand with a slight scowl. "We'll catch him later." After buying a variety of prank items with Severus, Lucius & Regulus in mind, they hurried off to Madam Puddifoot's, a little cafe at the end of the street. Remus was waiting for them, though he didn't notice them come in for his eyes were closed while sucking on chocolate. He was sitting back in a chair, leaning on its back legs onto the wall. He looked divine.

"In love again, are we?" Sirius teased.

Startled, Remus tipped forward with a clatter & choked on the last bit of chocolate that he had accidentally swallowed whole. "Aw shut it, Siri!" Remus muttered with a raspy voice.

"Stop eating so much chocolate, Remy," James warned. "You'll get fat," Peter & Sirius sputtered loudly while trying not to laugh. Remus only glared, knowing it wouldn't make him fat but he couldn't tell them why. His transformations at Full Moon more then used up the extra calories.

"Well," Sirius sat down. "Ready?"

"Ready," James nodded to Madam Puddifoot & got ready to order. Lucius & Severus were sitting at the table across from them, though they didn't notice that they were under the Marauders' scrutiny yet again.

"I'd really like to know about that riddle," Lucius muttered.

"Stupid Potter," Severus agreed.

"That's another thing," Remus spoke up. "Larry likes Potter but he doesn't like Snape."

"Silence!" Severus ordered.

When their orders came, Sirius made sure he grabbed the wrong sandwich. Puddifoot stopped next at Lucius & Severus's table & they took they're sandwiches.

"I wonder which one got it?" Sirius snickered. "Ma'am? I seemed to have grabbed the wrong one. Could I send this back?"

"Sure," Puddifoot came back to him & all to late she asked aloud, "Alright, which of you ordered the Double Hot Chili Sandwich with extra Wasabi sauce?"

Too late, Severus had bitten down. "Haaaaaaaa..." he began wheezing. Lucius could have sworn he saw flames erupt from Severus's ears. "hoooooo heeeeee AHHHH! Whhhhhaaaaaahhhhheerrrr!" Severus tried asking for water.

"Severus?" Lucius stood up in a panic. "Good Merlin! Severus?" He tried patting his friend on the back but it only made Severus wheeze harder. James & Sirius had fallen off their chairs as Peter put both hands over his mouth. Remus pushed his plate away & let his head fall into his arms to hide his laughter.

Madam Puddifoot hurried over, Sirius's 'misplaced' sandwich forgotten, & tried to help the gasping boy. Severus slowly returned to normal & cast dark glares at the Marauders. Puddifoot then attended the third table right beside Severus & Lucius where Lily, Alice & Amanda sat.

"Oh, I know what Larry likes," Lily said with an air of importance. Severus & Lucius stopped conniving for a moment to listen. "It's double letters. See? Larry likes swimming but not water. There's two M's in swimming. Likes wood but not fire; two O's in wood."

"Likes Potter but not Snape," Alice added. "Two T's in Potter."

James suddenly perked up. "Wait, is that it... Lupin?" Remus smiled & nodded while stuffing his face with another chocolate. "Good grief! I can't believe I wasted a whole week of my life trying to figure that out."

"Same here," Severus scowled. "I'll get you for this, Potter."

"You failed to notice that I didn't know either," James snapped.

"You'll pay," Lucius threatened. "You & your friends."

"Ooo," James cooed. "Tough guy."

"Stop it," Lily ordered. "I want to eat in peace, thank you."

After they finished lunch, James wanted to see the Shrieking Shack, which had been haunted since about three years ago. Sirius agreed & thought maybe they'd go inside. This made Peter whimper a bit but James put a stop to that in a hurry.

"Come on, Peter," James said. "They're only ghosts. What's so different from being in Hogwarts Castle? That's full of ghosts too."

"But these ones aren't normal," Peter whimpered. "They're evil spirits. They'll hurt you."

"Don't be silly," James groaned. "They're just ghosts…& where is Remus, again?"

"Maybe he chickened out," said Peter, feeling like he should do the same.

"Hardly," Sirius scoffed. "We passed Honeydukes again on the way here. Case closed. He probably doesn't even know we were planning on coming here."

"Most likely," James groaned. "Let's go."

Remus was actually watching from afar. It was bad enough he had to go there once a month. He didn't want his Hogsmeade trips to be haunted by that place as well, especially since he'd be coming back tonight for this Halloween was a Full Moon. Remus also had another thing going on. The Shrieking Shack was his den; his territory but yet, James, Sirius & Peter were like a pack to him. Remus forced his wolf to accept that it was all right to let the three of them prowl around for a while.

An hour later, it was time to return. It was already getting dark as the student moved across the grounds to the castle for the Halloween feast. More cakes, candies & pastries awaited everyone as the tables were piled high with all sorts of goodies.

Towards the end, James noticed that Remus still wasn't with them & rolled his eyes. "Please tell me we didn't forget him in Honeydukes?" Sirius & Peter snickered between mouthfuls, knowing that was probably exactly what happened.

In fact, Remus was at that point in the Shrieking Shack, halfway through his transformation.


	6. The Blackness Of The Blacks

**(6) The Blackness Of The Blacks**

"Remus, you've got to lay off the sweets," James declared as soon as he spotted Remus a day later at breakfast. Remus glanced at his plate in confusion. There was no candy there.

"I'm so sorry," Sirius added. "I can't believe we forgot about you in Honeydukes the other day."

"What?" Remus blinked at him, looking rather tired.

"You didn't come back from Hogsmeade," Peter explained. "We just left you at Honeydukes."

"I bet you got locked in, didn't you?" James asked.

_"Uh...oui,"_ ("Uh...yes,") Remus jumped on a brand new excuse for the Full Moon. He had been worried about trying to explain something about his mother's condition, not that she had any, for he was sure that was getting rather old by now. But here was a new way out this time.

"Why didn't you just use our passageway?" Peter asked, referring to the one that led from Honeyduke's cellar to Hogwarts Castle.

"Why would he?" Sirius laughed. "He probably pigged out the whole time with all those sweets around, right Remus?" Sirius winked & poked the werewolf in the ribs. Remus bit back a growl, hating to get poked in the ribs.

James agreed. "I'm willing to bet all my galleons that you cleaned out the whole store, didn't you?" Remus just nodded & agreed to everything they thought had happened, thankful he didn't have to cover up this time. Sirius soon brought up the subject of the Shrieking Shack & Remus fell into silence.

"I could have sworn something pulled my hair," Sirius was saying.

"Something did pull your hair," James said. "Andromeda, remember?"

"Right," Sirius stared into his plate. "She had come to tell us to get going. We didn't even make it inside the Shack."

"I don't think we can anyway, Siri," James shrugged. "It looks pretty boarded up."

"Who'd want to go in there anyway?" asked Peter. "It's full of creeps & stuff." James & Sirius just snickered & muttered, 'Scaredy-cat!' under their breaths.

The students headed down to the barns later that day for their Care Of Magical Creatures lesson. The day was chilly even though the sun was shining brightly, offering little warmth. Inside the barns, it was a bit warmer, though the breeze rattled through the loft on occasion.

They were doing their last lesson on unicorns for this term. Each student had to manage a way to approach a unicorn without it running away & then finish with an essay on unicorns & their alicorn powers. Unicorns trusted girls better then boys & most of the girls were able to pet one. Lily, Amanda & Alice were clustered around a white mare, patting her nose while watching James, Remus & Frank as they tried to approach another mare. Their unicorn bolted at the last moment. Not surprisingly, Lily got better marks then Remus, who stalked away muttering, "_Les femelles! C'est injuste!"_ ("Girls! So unfair!") while his three friends laughed at him as Lily fed an apple to her unicorn & smiled.

The Marauders hurried to their favorite beech tree by the lake for their free period to plan another prank. While discussing what to do to Severus next, Sirius noticed a group of Second Year boys near the beach. He pointed them out to James. "Isn't that the same bunch of kids that tried taking our spot away here?"

"Well well," James glared in their direction. "So it is."

"They called us big stupid boys, didn't they?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"That they did," James got up.

"Haven't you two got in enough trouble last time?" Remus snapped at them.

"Aww cluck cluck cluck," Sirius scoffed.

"I'm not scared of little boys," Remus jumped up, glaring. "You're just going to get us all in trouble again. Besides, they're nowhere near us anyway."

"I wasn't saying you're scared of anything, Remy," Sirius said. "I was calling you a mother hen. Always trying to stop us from teaching someone a lesson."

"Wha...? But-but-but..." Remus spluttered.

"Aha! You see?" Sirius laughing. "But but but. You even sound like a mother hen."

"That was uncalled for," Remus muttered. "Fine. Go pick on them. But don't come crying to me if you're in detention again."

"When did we ever go crying to you?" James asked.

"You always complain to me & Peter whenever you get detention!" Remus snapped.

"Whatever," James shrugged & marched away with Sirius following close behind.

"Merlin, he's just as bad as Lily sometimes," Sirius remarked. James just scoffed.

"Where are you going?" Peter asked as Remus started moving in the same direction.

"Someone's got to keep an eye on them," Remus said, hurrying to catch up to his wayward pack members. "Mother hen! The nerve of those two... why I ought to..." Remus growled & continued muttering in French several different ways of whatever he ought to do to James & Sirius.

"Why hello Davey!" Sirius called as they approached.

"Oh, no," Davey groaned.

"Oh, yes," James retorted. "We've got some unfinished business. Something about you calling us stupid?"

"Not to mention," Sirius added. "The way you hexed my friend. That wasn't very nice now was it?"

"No it wasn't," Remus agreed as he finally caught up to them. "But still—"

"That's right, Remus," James cut him off before he could have a chance to stop them. "It wasn't very nice. It really hurt to. Can you imagine what it's like to have your insides in a twist?" James winked at Remus & then glared back at Davey. Remus snapped shut. He knew exactly what James meant & then some.

"Just go away," Davey snapped. "We're no where near your stupid tree."

"Whoa, now," James taunted. "Now our tree is stupid as well?"

"This isn't about the tree," Remus said. "This is about what you did to James last time."

"What he said," Sirius agreed as James stared unbelieving at Remus, wondering why he suddenly switched sides.

"I'm not scared of you," Davey snapped. "I'm big enough to handle you."

"We'll see about that," James glowered.

"Time for you to see how getting hexed like that felt." Sirius raised his wand but Remus stopped him.

"I've got a better idea," Remus said. "All of you follow me." Remus led them all across the grounds to the edge of the Forest where the Whomping Willow stood. He grabbed a stick & tossed it in the trees direction. It landed just within reach of the longest branches. "You all know about this tree?" Remus snapped at the younger boy.

Davey nodded. "It'll attack anyone who goes near it. It's very violent from what I've heard."

"It is," Remus agreed. "Show us how big you are. Retrieve the stick without getting whacked & we'll leave you alone. If not, the tree will decide." Davey gulped & stared at the stick. James & Sirius snickered at the younger boy as he stood there, shaking like every one of those leaves on the tree.

"You'll promise to leave me alone?" Davey gulped.

_"Oui,"_ ("Yes,") Remus glared. James rolled his eyes & muttered the English version.

"And my friends?"

"Whatever you say," Remus continued his glare.

"You have to promise that," Davey stood a bit straighter.

"What I say next you're not to tell anyone, not even your friends, you got that?" Remus demanded. Davey nodded. "I swear by Marauder's oath we won't bug you again if you get me my stick."

"Maraud—you guys?" Davey stared.

_"Oui!"_ ("Yes!") Remus hissed. "Now get it. My patience is wearing thin. So long as you remember your promise to keep quiet, we'll remember ours." Davey nodded vigorously & moved slowly towards the tree.

James leaned closer to Sirius. "What's ticked Remy off?"

"I have no idea," Sirius shrugged. He watched as Davey Gudgeon edged closer & closer to the stick on the ground. The tree began to shake as he got nearer & even lashed out with its smaller branches. Davey paused to judge the distance between himself & the stick & then took a dive for it. A branch landed just a little to his left. He snatched the stick & rolled away just as another branch slammed the ground where he had just been. Davey jumped up & ran away as more branches came pelting down at him.

"I got it!" Dave panted & handed over the stick. "I got it. Now will you leave us alone?"

Remus pulled out his wand, making Davey flinch. Remus ignored him & pointed it at the stick. He began carving something along the side & then handed it back. "Keep it as a souvenir. Stay out of our way & you won't have any more problems." With that, he marched away & it was all James, Peter & Sirius could do to keep up with him.

Davey watched them disappear into the castle & then stared at the stick. "Compliments of the JPSR Marauders?'" he read aloud to himself before running wildly away from the Whomping Willow's stomping grounds.

"Remus," James grabbed hold of his friend's cloak & pulled him back. "That was wicked brilliant. But what's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," Remus muttered. _A l'exception d'un symbiont Lycan. Mais je ne peut vraiment pas dire cela devant toi, n'est-ce pas?( Except a Lycan symbiont. But I can't really say that to you, now can I?)_

"But thanks for ruining it with that stupid promise," Sirius groaned.

"Do you want me to tell the kid he can say who we really are?" Remus half-snapped.

"How do you know he won't tell?" Peter asked.

"He's to scared of us," Remus stated matter-of-factly. "Now if you don't mind, Jim, I have to go to the library." He turned to leave, muttering over his shoulder. "Before your girlfriend beats me again."

The days got colder as November hurried by. An excitement began to settle over the students as the Christmas break grew nearer even though the end of term exams loomed over them. With Magical Creature out of the way, the students turned to the Defence Against The Dark Arts essays of Red Caps, small dwarf-like creatures which can be found wherever there has been bloodshed. Any wizard was able to repel them easily enough, but Red Caps preyed mostly on Muggles by attempting to batter them to death.

After that, they had Divination, History of Magic & Transfiguration. Again, Professor Shepherd turned into Patches the Giant Panda when the students reviewed Animagic. Most of the students left that class wishing they could do that too.

As Christmas break came around the corner, Remus came up with an idea for another prank on Slytherin & huddled with his friend, discussing how to do it. Finally the last exam was finished & the last class, Potions, was at an end. Most of the students went home for the next two weeks save for a few from each House. Severus & Lucius stayed along with five First Year Slytherin students. Regulus was gone but Sirius jumped at any chance to stay away from home.

Snow fell thickly & continued flaking from the sky for several days. The castle was literally an icebox, save for the areas around the fires in each of the House Towers as well as the library & the Great Hall.

As Christmas Eve darkened, James, Peter, Sirius & Remus hung around the Slytherin Portrait under the Invisibility cloak until a First Year girl came along & gave the password, 'Master' to enter. Sirius started at that, remembering what his brother had told him.

After waiting a moment, James pulled off the cloak & repeated the password. The Portrait, a tall man, dressed in black with shiny black boots & a long black wand glared at James with a raised eyebrow. "You're not of my House?"

"No but I have the password, don't I?" James retorted.

"Very well," the man sighed. "But don't stay long." He glared once more before slowly swinging open.

"Let's go!" James nodded to his friends & they entered the Slytherin common room. It was colored with black & silver & had dark green curtains tied back from the windows with silver sashes. The tree stood in the center, laden with real silver & gold balls. Under it were a few packages for the students who had stayed. "Find Snivelus's & Lucius's," James ordered as he began rummaging through the wrapped gifts. They soon located the appropriate gifts & replaced them with their own. The Marauders hurried back to their own common room & piled in, laughing.

"Can't wait to hear of this tomorrow," Peter snickered.

James laughed as he said, "A couple of giant jack-in-the-boxes. They'll leap out of their packages screaming, 'The JPSR Marauders sends their regards!' in front of those First Years. Snivelus & Lucius are going to be so embarrassed."

"Want to see what they'll never get?" Remus picked up Lucius's present.

"You do the honors, Remus," Sirius said. "It was your idea."

Remus smiled & opened it. "Wow! This looks expensive."

Sirius paused mid-gulp of a candy cane to look at what it was. It was a silver wand sheath to hang on the belt. The top was ringed with diamonds & the very tip ended in a small dark blue sapphire, though the rest of it was silver. "They can afford to lose it & get another one," Sirius waved it away with his hand. "Trust me. Malfoy is richer then I am... but that will change soon once I marry his cousin, Rhianon." He made a face & glared down to the floor.

"Ohhh you didn't tell me you're in love!" James teased.

"I'm not!" Sirius snapped with such bitterness that James jumped. "I never even met the girl. I was betrothed to her literally the moment I was born. Being a first born son of a rich pureblood family comes with unwanted responsibilities."

"Unwanted?" James stared. "Sirius! You've got yourself a girl. You don't have to go looking for one."

"But I want to go looking for one," Sirius snapped. "Every other boy does. You did. It's not fair. But I don't care. I'm not marrying her anyway. I've already got my eyes set on that Ravenclaw blondie we keep seeing. Wish I could meet up with her or something." An awkward silence followed as everyone let that sink in. James chewed the end of a licorice wand while Peter grabbed another chocolate.

Remus carefully set the long thin black box down in which lay the silver wand sheath on red satin. He pushed it over to Sirius. "You can keep it."

"Nah." Sirius pushed it back. "Take it. You earned it."

"_Non,"_ ("No,") Remus said quietly. "I don't want it." He pushed it away slowly, trying not to look at it for very long. Fact was, he did want it & wanted it badly. It was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen but he couldn't have anything like it for his family weren't as rich as his friends were. They would have to do a lot of saving to get something so special, like perhaps his little gold music box. Not to mention, the sheath was silver & it would hurt him if he touched it.

"But—"

"Sirius," James shushed him. Sirius looked questionably at him. "So it's silver, is it?" James asked Remus while raising his eyes to Sirius for a moment. Sirius gulped & nodded, suddenly understanding.

"I think so," Remus said. "Well, I'm going to bed. You can open Severus's present." He handed it over to Sirius as though worried he'd encounter more silver & disappeared upstairs.

Sirius shrugged & ripped open Severus's gift. It was a black book with gold writing on the front cover, "The Art Of Dark & The Power Of Black." Sirius stared at the title. "I don't think 'Black' here means my family."

"Wow," James shuddered. "Looks like we just averted something bad. Who gave that to him?"

Sirius opened the cover & read the signature. "My brother."


	7. Crime & Punishment

**(7) Crime & Punishment**

Sirius stared at the book a while longer before snapping it shut & storming up the stairs to the dorms without another word. He threw the book on his bed & sat down beside it. Sirius leaned over to put the box with the silver wand sheath on his bed stand & then lay on his back to glare at the ceiling.

"What happened?" asked Remus, as he pulled back his curtains & sat up.

"Nothing," Sirius snapped.

"People don't go storming into their bedrooms for nothing, Siri," Remus said with a light smile. He got up & moved over to Sirius's bed to sit down beside him. "What's that book?"

Sirius had to laugh in spite of himself. "Trust me, you don't want to read it."

"Yes, I do," Remus grabbed the book before Sirius had a chance to pull it away. He smiled evilly at Sirius while holding the book out of reach.

"Come on, Remy," Sirius snarled. "I'm not in the mood to play right now."

"Lighten up," Remus ordered. "It's Christmas Eve."

"Remus," Sirius sighed. "Look, that book is Sniv's gift from my brother. It's a Black Magic book & from the looks of it; it's an advanced Black Magic book. Still want to read it?"

Remus glanced at the title & then quickly handed it back to Sirius "We should tell Headmaster Dippet about that, or Dumbledore."

"Not yet," Sirius snapped.

"Sirius," Remus glared at him. "You can't keep a book like that in this school."

"Who said anything about keeping it?" Sirius asked. "I'm gong to have a little talk with my brother first about this. Then I'll turn both the book & him over to the Headmaster & Regulus will be expelled. I'll be rid of him."

"Sirius, do you really think it's wise to use something like this book to get rid of your brother?" Remus asked with an accusing voice, much like his mother. "Who knows what powers this has? Or if they'll awaken any time soon? No, it's too risky. You've got to bring it to the Headmaster now."

"Not yet!" Sirius retorted again. "I'll bury it in the bottom of my trunk. I'll see my brother in a day or two then I'll get rid of everything. I'm from the Great & Most Noble House Of Black remember? I'm around such items of Darkness all the time. They haven't over-powered me yet & they won't any time soon."

"I hope you know what you're doing," Remus said with an air of defeat.

"I'll never be one of them," Sirius answered. "I'll be fine." Remus just sighed & stared at the silver sheath glinting in the light of the torches. The ring of diamonds winked at him as the moving light from the flames fell over them & the silver turned bright white. "If you really want it you can take it, you know," Sirius said after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"No, I'm fine," said Remus. "It's... not my style, actually."

"Remus," Sirius pulled himself up into a sitting position. "I know your family isn't as wealthy as mine or even James or Peter for that matter. I can tell just by looking at you. Your robes are second-hand. The lot of your books too. Why refuse a chance like this to have something so expensive?" Remus just shrugged. "It's not self-guilt, is it?"

"What?"

"I mean, you feeling like you shouldn't deserve something like this?" Sirius picked up the box & held it out to him but Remus still didn't take it.

"No Siri," Remus took hold of his friend's wrist & pulled it back. "I simply don't want it."

"Don't or can't?" asked Sirius as he put the box back in it's place.

"What do you mean?" asked Remus slowly.

"Well, I have a feeling that there's something going on here that you're not saying?" Sirius asked.

Remus's laugh could not have been more fake. "Whatever are you talking about, Siri? There's nothing going on; unless you're trying to tell me you've got a crush on me or something?" Sirius could only gape at that. "_Bonne nuit_." ("Good night.") Remus said after a moment of awkward silence before hurrying to his bed & pulled the curtains around him.

Sirius blinked a few times as what Remus said took time to register. "Crush on him? What? Gimme a break." He muttered to himself while putting the book away before getting into bed. "I was referring to the silver," Sirius grumbled as he turned over. "Crazy kid."

Remus lay awake for a long time, heart pounding in his head. Did Sirius notice he was staying away from silver? What if he figured it out? Remus turned over in bed, trying not to think of what Sirius would do if he found out. He'd probably tell James & Peter & then they'd all desert him. Who'd want to be friends with a monster that could turn around & eat them? Remus also felt a little stupid at the moment for making Sirius believe he thought his friend had a crush on him, but what else could he have said? Hopefully, Sirius would have forgotten everything come Christmas Day.

At breakfast the next morning, Sirius, James, Peter & Remus sat at their table waiting expectantly. Severus & Lucius burst in a few moments later, glaring daggers at anyone who so much as looked at them. James & Sirius rested their heads on their arms so they could laugh without anyone noticing. Remus noticed that Severus & Lucius sat as far away as possible from the five First Year Slytherins who were pointing at them & laughing.

Lucius suddenly shouted, "If I ever catch those crazy Marauders, they are going to be in so much trouble!" He flicked his long silvery blond hair over his shoulders & glared at a Christmas turkey that was very fortunate to be dead right now. Lucius stabbed it ferociously as Severus glared into his plate.

"Having problems?" Sirius asked.

"Silence, Black!" Severus snapped, turning in his seat to glare.

"Don't call me Black," Sirius snapped then muttered. "Snivelus."

"How would you like it if your Christmas present was stolen?" Lucius snapped.

"Like that would ever happen," Sirius said as he slid a hand under the table. Remus glanced down & noticed Sirius was fondling the top of the wand sheath in which rested his wand. Remus discreetly moved sideways a few inches, away from Sirius & the silver.

Christmas Day was sunny & snow lay thick on the ground. The sleighs were brought out & those who had stayed at Hogwarts were being pulled across the grounds by bright white unicorns. The lake was frozen solid & several students were out skating on it. Lily Evans was showing her two friends, Amanda Shores & Alice Jay how to glide on one skate. Amanda just couldn't get it & kept falling down. Alice could hardly skate on two legs, let alone one.

"It's all about balance."

The girls whipped around to see Remus glide by on one skate easily. "Oh, no," Lily groaned. "If he's here then," she glanced around. "He's here, too." Sure enough, James Potter stood on the edge of the lake, with his two other friends. Lily glared back at Remus who was doing a little spin before gliding away on one foot again. "Show off!"

Remus just smiled & shrugged & then hit a clump of ice sticking up. He went spinning across the lake, sliding on his back. He landed at Peter's feet back on the shore. Peter started laughing along with Sirius & James who were already rolling around making imprints in the snow. Remus bared his fangs without thinking, but it didn't matter anyway for they were laughing too much to notice much else.

"You try it," Remus snapped, pulling off his skates & holding them up. "if you think you can do it."

James took them first & glanced at Lily. He went gliding away towards her & caught her in his arms. Together, they went gliding across the lake, picking up speed as a few flakes fell, leaving dots of white on Lily's passion-red hair.

Well that's what happened in James's head anyway. James pulled on the skates & stood up on the ice. "Lily, watch this!" He put one foot forward as Lily turned around just in time to see James go down like a ton of bricks & his feet ended up in the air where his head should have been. Remus, Peter & Sirius made no move to catch him on his way down or to help him back up. Instead, they began laughing uproariously.

James slowly pulled himself up & avoided looking at the girls who were giggling beyond all control. He fumbled around for his glasses & found half of them in the snow. The other half dangled from his left ear. James pulled the skates off & threw them at Peter as he pulled out his wand & aimed for his glasses. "_Oculus Repairus_," James muttered & the glasses quickly mended themselves.

Peter tried the skates for a few minutes though he felt a bit unsteady on them. He soon handed them to Sirius who actually glided away with ease, though Sirius didn't try any of the stunts that Lily & Remus could do. That is, didn't try anything until he spotted a group of Ravenclaw girls & that blonde one was with them. Sirius turned his direction toward them & glided over, realising to late that he hadn't a clue as how to stop. "Ah! Oh, no! Look out!" The girls scattered as Sirius made pinwheels with his arms as he tried to stop. "Ahh help!" Sirius fell on his back with his feet in the air & went sailing into a snow bank. He heard the girls giggling from somewhere beyond the white fluff. _Great! First time she notices me & I have to make a complete idiot of myself._ Sirius felt the weight being removed from him & several pairs of hands hauled him out. He glanced around as the Ravenclaws clustered around him.

"That was funny."

"Do you always stop like that?"

"Lucky your flying is better then your skating," said the blonde girl. "Are you alright?"

"Sure," Sirius said weakly. "I'm fine." He stood up though he had to lean on the girls for support until he found feeling in his legs again. The skates felt awkward on his feet as he tried gliding forward.

"Maybe you should lean on me the whole way," she answered. "Until you get your wind back."

"Sure," Sirius agreed, jumping at the chance to be with this girl. "I'm, uh, Sirius, by the way. Sirius Black."

"I know," she said. "You play for Gryfindor Team. Not to mention, your that Potter boy's best friend."

"That's right," Sirius agreed. "So you like Quidditch?"

She nodded. "I'm actually thinking of joining my team someday."

"That's great," Sirius said. "Maybe we'll play against each other some day."

"Maybe," the girl shrugged. "I'll let your friends take care of you now," she suddenly added as James, Peter & Remus came running around the bend. "Bye." With that, she glided away back to her friends. Before Sirius had a chance to object, he was surrounded.

"Are you alright?" asked Peter.

"You talked to her," James exclaimed. "So, what's she like?"

"Uh, she's nice," Sirius said.

"What's her name?" Remus asked.

"What?"

"Her name!" Remus repeated firmly.

"Oh, uh, gee I forgot to ask," Sirius stared at a clump of snow.

"You... forgot to ask?" James repeated, sounding thoroughly depressed. He hit Sirius over the head. "Are you a complete idiot? Forgot to ask."

The last days of the Christmas break passed all to quickly. Sirius didn't meet the Ravenclaw blonde again & soon forgot about her for a while as he prepared to face his brother.

Regulus returned on New Year's Day & located his friend, Severus. He made a beeline for him but an unwanted sight suddenly blocked his path. "You're coming with me, Reggie!" Sirius grabbed hold of his brother's arm, pinching it tightly & dragged him into an unused classroom. He cast a silencing charm over the door & then turned to glare at his brother.

"Why? What are you—" Regulus began but his voice soon failed him as Sirius held up the book. Regulus just stared back at his brother.

"Not very chatty today are we?" Sirius declared. "What in the name of Merlin is wrong with you? Bringing something like this," Sirius slammed the book down on the floor at Regulus's feet. "into this school?"

"I was told to," Regulus muttered.

"By who?"

"Not allowed to say," Regulus said quietly.

"You will tell me!" Sirius grabbed his brother by the collar & slammed him into the wall. "I'm the elder brother. I decide what to do with you & you're going to tell me or I'm bringing this to Dippet. It's got your name on it. You'll be expelled."

"No!" Regulus yelped. "Look, I told you I had to bring it here. It's not my fault."

"Who's fault is it, then?" Sirius demanded.

"I can't tell you," Regulus said again.

Sirius dropped Regulus to the floor. "I'm going to see the Headmaster." He marched for the door.

"No wait!" Regulus grabbed the back of Sirius's cloak & yanked him back. "Look if I tell you, you'll leave me alone? You won't tell anyone?"

"Alright," Sirius agreed. "Tell me & I won't give this book to the Headmaster." Regulus nodded & stared at the floor. He whispered something but Sirius didn't get it. "What was that?"

"M-Master," Regulus said.

"Who?" Sirius pressed.

"The Master told me," Regulus said.

"And just who is that?" Sirius demanded.

"No, no I can't tell you more then that," Regulus yelped. Sirius took pleasure in the fact that his brother was looking absolutely terrified of something.

"Headmaster's office," Sirius grabbed his brother & pulled him along. "Now!"

"Voldemort!" Regulus yelped. "Master...Lord...Voldemort."

Sirius dropped him. "You've seen Voldemort?"

"For a brief moment," Regulus panted. "He came to our house just before Christmas. Mom said he was a very honored guest & was quite pleased with our family so far. But then he asked about you-"

"And I'm sure my beloved mother took great pride in putting me down again," Sirius interrupted. "This time in front of one of the greatest Dark Sorcerers yet."

"He then handed me this book & told me to give it to one of my friends," Regulus went on. "I guess he's worried more people might follow you instead."

Sirius thought for a moment & then raised the charms & opened the door. "Get out. I won't tell the Headmaster & since you did try to give it to a friend, you're off the hook; for now, so long as you keep your mouth shut."

"Can I have that back, then?" Regulus pointed at the book.

"No," Sirius said with a tone of finality. "This conversation never took place. You can pretend you don't know what happened to the book & never speak of it again. I'll burn it in that fireplace."

"But—"

"Enough!" Sirius snapped. "Get out of my sight or you'll burn alongside that book!" Sirius threw Regulus out & slammed the door. He marched to the fireplace with his wand aiming at it. "_Incendio_." Flames shot out from his wand & flared up in the fireplace. He threw the book in the midst of the fire & watched it burn to ashes before leaving.

Regulus could do nothing but run. He tried telling Sirius the he wasn't the only one who knew about the book but it was too late now. Regulus heard the flames crackle in the fireplace & knew the book was destroyed by now & fled the scene. He entered his common room & tried to look as if nothing was wrong.

"So where is the book then?" Bellatrix snapped. "I thought you said you'd give it to Severus?"

"I tried but Severus said his gift was stolen," Regulus shrugged & lay back on the black leather couch.

"Do you know who stole it?" Bellatrix demanded.

"No," Regulus said much to quickly.

"You lie," Bellatrix declared & raised her wand. "The Master told me to deal with you if something happened."

"Please don't!" Regulus begged. "I really don't know what happened to the book. It's not my fault the owl delivered it to someone else or something."

"The owl delivered it to the right place," Bellatrix snapped. "It's after it got here that it went missing. _Crucio_!" She let Regulus suffer from that curse for five minutes straight before releasing him. "Had enough?" Regulus could only whimper. "You'd better find that book, Reggie, or else." She stomped to her dorm without a backward glance.

Regulus lay on the floor of the common room, glad it was late at night & no one else had seen what had just happened. Bellatrix had learned that Unforgivable Curse at a young age & she used it well, almost as well as his father. Regulus lay there a long time, hating Sirius even more. It was all Sirius's fault this happened & if their father got wind of it, there was an even worse punishment to look forward to.


	8. Pranks & Bucking Broomsticks

**(8) Pranks & Bucking Broomsticks**

The days were as cold as ever just after the holidays. Another Full Moon came & went. Remus was able to slip away, or so he thought, amidst the rush of students getting back into schoolwork after a long break. He returned a day later & was quite surprise by the reactions from his friends. James ignored completely the fact that Remus had been gone at all while Peter handed him a chocolate bar.

Sirius just asked, "How's your Mom feeling?"

"Mama? Um...uh," Remus stammered. "She's fine, for now."

"Quite odd that she gets sick every month," Sirius remarked absent-mindedly as he returned to his Divination's Book Of Dreams. Remus only shrugged & curled up on the couch, throwing his last bit of chocolate into the fire for Nightstalker.

"Well," James spoke up. "I know what we can do to Snivelus." His three fiendish friends clustered around him expectantly.

They had to wait a few weeks for the storm to let up. In the meantime, James succeeded in turning Snape's hair a bright hot pink that wouldn't wash out for a week. Sirius had also charmed a branch of mistletoe to float over Remus's head. Remus was quite put off with all the girls trying to kiss him all of a sudden until he just so happened to see himself in the mirror. Knowing exactly whose fault this was, Remus 'forgot' to save his homework notes for Sirius for a week. He also conveniently forgot to tell Sirius that he had put the mistletoe over his head as well but Sirius didn't seem to mind the girls, especially when that blonde Ravenclaw came up to him again.

When the sun finally decided to show it's face, James led his friends outside & across the grounds to the back of the Quidditch Pitch. He dug away the snow to reveal a warm burrow full of hibernating nifflers; small cuddly burrowing animals which were strongly attracted to anything shiny.

Hearing the gates clanging behind them, the Marauders turned to see the Slytherin Team coming onto the Pitch for their first practise of the season, all dressed in shiny black & sliver robes.

"Couldn't have picked a better time," James snickered to Sirius.

"Oi, Snivelus!" Sirius called.

"Oh, no," Lucius Malfoy groaned. "Just ignor them, Sevy."

"Quit calling me Sevy... Lucy," Severus grinned at his friend who glared at him.

"Quit calling me Lucy & I'll quit calling you Sevy!" Lucius snarled. "Reggie! Where you going?"

"They've no right to be here," Regulus hissed. "We have this place booked for today." Regulus marched off straight for his brother with Severus & Lucius close behind. "Time for you boys to leave!" Regulus snapped as he came closer.

"We're not going anywhere," Sirius glared.

"Not until we've had a little fun," James added, looking pointedly at Severus.

"I said leave!" Regulus pushed his brother into an old snowdrift.

"Pushy aren't you?" James snapped. "Two can play that game." He shoved Severus in the direction of the niffler burrow & he fell in.

"Ahh! Get 'em off me!" Severus yelped from inside the hole. The nifflers squeaked excitedly & began pulling at the silver markings. "What are these things?"

"Don't you know?" James laughed.

"I would if I could see," Severus snapped. "_Lumos_." The burrow became bright & everyone had a clear picture of what was going on inside. "Nifflers? Potter! What'd you put in with nifflers for? They're ruining my Quidditch robes."

"That's the whole idea," James sneered.

Lucius & Regulus hauled their teammate out. Severus stood up, his robes torn wherever they had been silver colored before. He glared at James before marching off the Pitch into the Slytherin locker rooms. James, Sirius, Peter & Remus glanced at each other & then started laughing.

Another thing besides Quidditch, which was starting this term, was the second part of Care Of Magical Creatures. The Marauders arrived early so they could see Queen & her foal, Buckbeak, who came cautiously to them. Peter & Sirius managed to pet him before a loud honk from Queen told them to leave.

"So over-protective," Sirius muttered. "Who pulled Buckbeak out of her? Who named her baby? Who brought her carrots every week? Me! This is the thanks I get?"

"Sirius," Remus rolled his eyes. "Did you not hear what Hagrid said? This is her first baby. Of course, she'll be protective of it."

"Settle down," Professor Shepherd ordered. "Now who here, besides Lupin & Evans, can tell me about the Hippogriff?" Remus & Lily stared at each other as Sirius & Lucius both started talking at once.

"Very proud creatures—" (Lucius)

"Should always bow to them first—" (Sirius)

"Likes pumpkin cakes—" (Lucius)

"Likes carro—Really?" (Sirius)

"Keeps their babies for about two years—" (James jumped in the conversation.)

"Over-protective of their babies—" (Sirius)

"Alright enough!" (Professor Shepherd)

Remus leaned close to Lily & whispered. "That's what he gets for keeping us out of answering questions." Lily snickered softly.

"10 points to Gryfindor & 10 points to Slytherin," Shepherd went on. "Now these seven here," he waved his hand behind him to where seven Hippogriffs stood. "are the Gryfs you'll be studying this term. If all goes well, they may let you ride them for your exams." Several audible gulps could be heard. "Unlike unicorns," Shepherd went on. "Hippogriffs are not gender-sensitive, so you all should have an equal chance at getting to know them."

Remus & Lily glanced at each other, remembering the unicorn incident.

"Today," Shepherd continued. "we will introduce ourselves to Thunder," he indicated a dark storm grey-with-white one. "Valefor," The sand yellow-brown one nodded his head. "Ifrit," A crimson red one honked loudly. "Princess," An exact replica of the snow-white-with-golden-specks Queen tossed her head. "Odin," The slate grey bowed slightly. "& the black twins, Jet & Ebony." The two black ones clicked their beaks together. "Walk up to the herd slowly & bow. By the way, try not to blink. Hippogriffs distrust people who blink to much."

Most of that class was spent bowing to the hippogriffs & trying to pet them. Lily & her friends managed to gain the trust of the black twins while Sirius, James, Peter & Remus worked on Queen's younger sister, Princess. Thunder, on the other hand, didn't allow any of the Gryfindors & only 2 Slytherins to approach him, Regulus Black & a Slytherin girl.

Beginning that weekend, the Gryfindor Team started training harder then ever for the next game. They would have to beat both Slytherin & Ravenclaw to win the Quidditch Cup this year. Because they were against Slytherin first, Captain Cooper made the train almost every day for the next 3 weeks.

The final days leading up to the first game were filled with tension from both Houses for whoever lost this game would lose the cup, giving Ravenclaw one more chance at it. The Slytherins were as confident as usual, despite the fact that James kept telling them they'd never beat his dives.

The day of the game was sunny & warm as spring was just around the corner. James & Severus glared at each other before heading off to their own ends of the Pitch to look for the Snitch.

Regulus caught the ball right away & hurried away but Sirius would have none of it. He launched himself forward onto Regulus's broom so they were riding together & wrenched the ball from his hands to throw it to Asher Chris.

"PENALTY TO SLYTHERIN!" shouted Veronica Lodge, the referee. "SIRIUS BLACK GET DOWN HERE _**NOW**_"

Sirius was grounded for 5 minutes while Lucius tried to score but he was blocked. Back in the air, Sirius was more determined then ever to keep the ball from his brother. Lucius currently had the ball & passed it to Regulus but Sirius caught it & made a score.

"10 nothing to Gryfindor!" yelled the commentator.

Meanwhile, the Seekers, Severus & James, were circling the game in pursuit of the Snitch. James soon noticed that Severus had the new broom, the Red Shooting Star, which was a bit faster then his own older Cleansweep. James mentally cursed himself for not getting a new broom & was determined to catch that Snitch before Severus could see it. The commentary brought James back to reality.

"20 Slytherin to 10 Gryfindor!"

"Whoa, how'd that happen?" James muttered then saw Severus dive. James looked towards the point Severus was aiming & sure enough, a little golden ball was fluttering wildly. "No you don't!" James grumbled as he flattened himself against his broom but he had no hope of getting there in time.

"You'll never catch me, Potter!" Severus yelled as he reached for the Snitch. Just as his hands started to close around it, his broom began bucking out of control. Severus had to release the Snitch to grab his broom & hang on with both hands. James took no notice & sped on for the walnut-sized gold ball.

"James Potter catches the Snitch!" the commentator shouted. "Gryfindor wins again. Now we are all wondering what is going on with Snape's broom..."

"No we're not," James laughed as his team jostled him into the lockers.

"Brilliant as usual," Sirius teased.

"I need to get a new broom though," James admitted. "That was real close!"

"I wonder what's going on with that broom?" Asher stared out the door as Severus suddenly stopping bucking around. He landed quickly & got off.

James & Sirius met Remus & Peter outside & together, they hurried to the Great Hall for supper. Afterward, they entered their tower to finish off some homework. When everyone else had gone to bed & the Marauders were alone, Remus spoke up, "It was me & Peter."

"What?"

"Peter noticed that Severus had a better broom then yours," Remus explained, ignoring James's eye roll. "So I jinxed his broom to make it as slow as yours. It started bucking because of the drag on it that I had yanked it out of."

"I see," James said. "Thanks Remus. Tomorrow, I'm ordering a better broom for the last game, against Ravenclaw."


	9. Encounter At Hogwarts

**(9) Encounter At Hogwarts**

James sent an order for a new broom, the Red Shooting Star, the next day to be prepared for the Ravenclaw game, which was also the final game of the year & whoever won it, won the Quidditch Cup.

The days became warmer & the snow soon disappeared. Homework increased more & more for the exams were not far away, about three months Sirius pointed out at one time. Remus told him to be quiet & that it was better to be prepared then to fail; though, judging from Sirius's reaction, he was sure his friend was now going to plan on failing just to annoy everyone. Remus however, had his own ideas & decided to set up a schedule for after hours that would include time for homework, Quidditch practice & pranks. It drove his friends nuts but Remus firmly stated that they'd graduate easier if they finished all their homework.

"Who does he think he is?" Sirius muttered. "Professor...or rather..._Professeur_ (Professor) Lupin?" James snickered at his friend's attempt with the French language.

"What's so funny?" Remus asked as he had just entered the common room, coming back from the library.

"Nothing," Sirius muttered.

"Tell him what you said Siri," James teased. Sirius just crossed his arms & pouted. "Go on, Siri."

"What?" Remus pressed, mildly amused.

James rolled his eyes & repeated, "Sirius said, 'Who does he think he is? Professor...or rather..._Professeur_,"' (...Professor,"') & James did a slight bow. "'Lupin?'"

"If you're going to make fun of my homeland…" Remus scowled.

"_Non non, cher Remy!_ ("No no, dear Remy!) I vouldn't dream o'zit," James said with a French accent. He grinned wildly as Remus glared. Sirius & Peter were laughing loudly in the background.

Remus growled softly as he sat down in the chair furthest from his friends & pulled out the schedule sheet he had made. "If you lot are going to act like that, fine. I'm giving you another hour every night."

"What for?" Peter demanded.

"French lessons," Remus declared. "You will regret the day you learned how to say Professor in French. I'm going to tutor all of you."

"Oh, no you're not," James snapped, stepping forward.

Remus coolly laid the parchment & quill in his lap & eyed James. "Why not?" he asked in a business-like manner. "Scared of failing?"

"No...no—I mean _non non,_" (no no,") James stammered. Remus just continued to stare at him with those big eyes of his. It was unnerving & James finally relented. "Fine."

"Thought so," Remus added the extra hour to the sheet. "There. Report to the library every day at 7pm, except Quidditch nights, of course."

"Yes sir," James muttered, crossing his arms. He leaned close to Sirius & whispered, "We gotta find some way of getting out of this one. Maybe come up with pranks around that time to make us late?" Sirius nodded in agreement.

"By the way," Remus suddenly added. "If you're late, I'll have to confiscate the Map so you can't prank anyone."

Sirius & James looked helplessly into each other's eyes. "We're finished!"

Remus made sure his friends showed up every day on time for their new class, taught by none other then '_Professeur_' ('Professor') Lupin, which they had come to call Remus to try annoying him. Remus however, took no notice, though he did keep a tighter hand on the Marauder's Map for added security, using the excuse that he wasn't quite done re-creating it to make it neater anyway.

James pulled Sirius aside one evening & said, "We've got to ditch..._ Professeur_...(...Professor...) Lupin tonight. I've got a plan for Snivelus that needs to be done now."

"Remus will kill us," Sirius moaned. "What how would you say that in French?"

"Hmm, don't know, don't care. How's that?" James snapped.

"Eh, works for me," Sirius shrugged. "So what've you got in mind?" James grinned & explained it to him. They soon figured out how to get Regulus & Lucius involved to.

They sent letters in Bellatrix's handwriting to the three Slytherins; Sirius knew a copy'n'paste charm that could forge other people's handwriting, & scurried off under James's Invisibility Cloak to watch the fun. Sure enough, Severus, Lucius & Regulus came out of the Slytherin common room & hurried off to an unused classroom. James & Sirius slipped through the door, trying not to laugh. There were several 6th & 7th year Slytherins having a small get-together. Bellatrix soon spotted the three new arrivals & invited them over, though she looked somewhat surprised at their presence. Bellatrix handed them each a smoky glass.

"It's just Fire whiskey," she said. "The 7th years are of age to buy it."

"Yes, but," Lucius glanced around. "Students aren't allowed to have it on school property."

"Who's going to know?" Bellatrix laughed.

"Merlin, I hate her laugh," Sirius muttered.

"Sh!" James shushed him. "Just wait."

The door soon opened again & in it stood several stern-looking Professors, among them was none other then Jherek Snape, who was glaring angrily at his son, now cowering in a corner. "What in the name of Merlin is going on in here?" Snape bellowed. James & Sirius were fighting hard not to laugh under the cloak.

"I want all of you in my office now," Headmaster Dippet ordered. Everyone slowly pushed forward as the Professors stood aside to let them pass. Sirius & James were knocked over in the panic & the cloak slipped off out of sight behind the desk. They glanced nervously at each other.

"Oh shoot...uhh...hide!" Sirius yelped. He & James tried diving behind the nearest desk but Dumbledore spotted them.

"I believe Potter & the elder Black would like to attend this little meeting as well," Dumbledore's hands landed one on each boy & steered them forward.

"_N-n-non non,_" ("N-n-no no,") Sirius spluttered.

"_Non,_" ("No,") James yelped. "We were just passing through."

"You're wrong, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "You can't escape this time; & is Lupin trying to teach you French? An excellent suggestion, I must have a talk with him later."

James & Sirius again looked helplessly into each other's eyes. "Now we're really finished!"

"Where can they be?" Remus snapped, making Peter jump. He watched as Remus prowled wolfishly up & down the rows of books in the language section. "They better have not gotten into anything stupid."

"Check the Map," Peter suggested.

"What?" Remus yelped distractedly. "Uh...the Map. Of course, how silly of me. Why didn't I think of that before? That's right, I don't have the Map. James or Sirius rummaged around in my own trunk to find it. Stupid boys ought to mind their own business & stay out of other people's things. Remus continued pacing & muttering in French. He suddenly walked into something or other & glared up to see what was blocking his way. "_Professeur_ (Professor) Dumbledore. Sorry. Didn't see you."

"Ah Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore smiled softly. "Your friends are in a spot of trouble." He went on to explain.

Remus growled. "What ever shall I do with them?"

"Well I was thinking," Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled mischievously. "For Potter's & Black's detention, they'll learn French for the next week. No Quidditch or anything until their detention is finished. Up to the task?"

A fish could hardly open & close its mouth so many times in the next few seconds as Remus managed to do. "Err-uh-I-I-hmm..." _Et de quelle façon penses-tu d'empecher ces deux-là de participer au Quidditch pour toute une semaine, Remus?( How do you intend to stop those two from Quidditch for a week, Remus?)_

_Tais-toi, loup. Laisses-moi penser! (Quiet wolf. Let me think!)_

_Est-ce que tu vas finir par me donner un nom? (Are you ever going to name me something?)_

"_Comment?"_ ( "What?") Remus yelped aloud.

"The actual game isn't for a while so they can afford to miss a couple practices," Dumbledore went on as Remus nodded dumbly.

"Can I take points off if they don't show up?"

"No," Dumbledore said. "You don't have that authority. Just report to me & I'll take care of the points. Now," he added. "Two hours every night for them should do it." With that, he left laughing softly.

Remus turned to Peter. "Jim & Siri are so not going to live to see their next birthdays."

The following day, anyone who so much as looked at Remus had the impression that they had given him a huge electric shock when he would jump so violently. He was going to be teaching French...to James & Sirius...for the next week without letting them get away for even Quidditch practise. Neither James or Sirius were to pleased with him when they found out but it was their own fault after all. Evening came & class began though not in a way Remus had planned.

"Remus," James began in a dangerous voice the moment he entered. "You don't really intend to keep us from Quidditch practise do you?"

"I'm supposed to," Remus muttered with a shrug.

"Perhaps but," Sirius slid & arm around Remus. "You're our friend right? You can let us sneak out."

"I have to report to Dumbledore of what goes on in here," Remus stated. "Now, go sit down please."

Before James or Sirius could argue, an unwelcome voice called across the library. "Nice move Black," Bellatrix sneered. "Getting one of your boyfriends, & the mud blooded one at that, to teach you a useless language." Remus could only watch helplessly as James & Sirius launched themselves at her throat.

"Peter help," Remus looked imploringly at his other friend.

Peter looked at the mess of Bellatrix, James & Sirius & then back at Remus. "How?"

"Just help me pull them apart!" Remus grabbed Sirius & pulled him free as Peter tried to handle James.

Bellatrix stood up & smoothed her wild black hair back. "I would never let a Gryfindor, especially a mudblooded one, teach me anything," she stood her full height just over Sirius. "Could you sink no lower?" James & Sirius glared as Bellatrix marched away back to her clan of friends lounging in one corner of the library.

"Well," Remus began. "Guess this is the last time we use the library for this for a while."

"Remus, are you alright?" Sirius asked.

"For now," Remus sighed.

"We'll get her," James assured. "Don't worry."

"Leave her be," Remus ordered. "You're already in trouble. Do you want to get kicked off the team for good as well?"

"You wouldn't dare," James stared.

"I wouldn't do anything," Remus went on. "But Dumbledore would." He added with a sly smile.

"I can't believe _Professeur_ (Professor) Lupin is actually taking care of our detention," Sirius muttered to James after the French was over. James nodded sullenly as he ducked into the old classroom to retrieve his cloak.

"At first," James said when he picked up his cloak. "It was just a joke among us. Now, thanks to Bellatrix who knocked us over, we've actually got to show up & learn French or we might get kicked off the Quidditch Team!"

"I know," Sirius grumbled, watching a 3rd Year struggle with his bag. He grinned & pointed his wand at the bag, "_Reducto_." The bag split apart & everything fell out.

"You're mean, Siri," James laughed as he did the same to a passing Professor.

"And you're foolishly bold," Sirius exclaimed just as soon as they ducked out of sight.

The next few French lessons passed in much the same way: James & Sirius would hint about being allowed to sneak away for Quidditch, Remus would threaten to report to Dumbledore. James & Sirius fell into a sullen silence. Remus would report to Dumbledore anyway after the French was over. They also had to move to a nearby disused classroom. Remus would lock the door behind them so Bellatrix & her friends couldn't disturb them.

Sirius rubbed his forehead after one particularly strenuous lesson. "Uhh Remus? How much longer 'til we can stop French?"

"I'm sorry Mr. Black," Remus cocked his head as if listening for something. "Did you say something?"

"Remus," Sirius & James groaned.

"It's gone to his head now, it has" Peter informed them.

"Very well, _Professeur_ (Professor) Lupin," James bowed so low his glasses slipped off. He rushed to pick them up.

"How much longer?" Sirius spoke each work clearly & slowly.

"Uh, sorry no speaka Eengleesh sorry," Remus said.

"I hate you," Sirius muttered & then proceeded to recite the question in French.

"Until the end of the month now," Remus said. "Dumbledore increased the length 'cause you're always nagging to sneak off."

"For Merlin's sa—oi! You spoke in English!" Sirius snapped. "Not fair."

"I am your _Professeur!_" (Professor!") Remus declared. "I & only I can speak whatever language I choose."

James & Sirius glared at each other & it was clear they were sharing the same thought. _LET'S GET HIM!_ Remus was suddenly pummeled by two bodies landing on top of him.

"Oof!" Remus yelped. "This is teacher-abuse—GERROFFME!"

But Sirius & James did not get off. Instead, they dug into Remus even more. "In French, in French!" they demanded.

"_Non!_" ("No!") Remus shrieked with laughter. "I-I can't stand...stand tickling...please stop!"

Peter had added himself to the group & Remus was shown no mercy for the next five minutes. "You do realise that was the wrong thing to say, don't you?"

"_Aww la ferm, Pete,"_("Aww shut up, Pete,")Remus muttered as he stood up, trying to rid himself of the sensation. "And it's not that bad is it? I mean Bellatrix is never around anymore anyway to bug us."

"We know," James & Sirius said at the same time.

"What did you guys do now?" Remus groaned.

"I found this weird sort of closet," Sirius began.

James went on. "Stuff...vanishes in it."

"What?" Remus glared at his two friends.

"Don't worry," James retorted. "Whatever vanishes always turns up again in a month or sooner."

"Unfortunately," Sirius groaned.

"Why did you do that?" Remus demanded.

"She's not something you should mess with," Sirius said, seriously. "And we don't like her calling you mudblood either." he added as an afterthought. "I'm planning on shoving Regulus in it soon & then Snivelus."

"Oh & Malfoy," James added, grinning evilly.

"Filch & his cat," Sirius went on.

"Davey Gudgeon."

Remus glared at them. "I appreciate your defense, but," he sighed before going on. "Did you ever stop to think that now you might get stuck with Bellatrix for another year?" When James & Sirius did nothing but stare at the floor, Remus said, "What if she disappears for a long time & has to come back next year to finish her schooling? You want to be stuck with her for another year?"

James & Sirius just shrugged. "So we'll keep shoving her in there," James said. "She'll keep disappearing."

Remus sighed. Only he seemed to be worried about what Bellatrix might do whenever she found her way back. James & Sirius thought it was quite funny while Peter tried to comfort Remus by saying that at least none of them had to listen to her insult Remus for a while.

Remus warned Dumbledore of the disappearance but was careful not to mention James's or Sirius's involvement; he simply stated that Bellatrix had just somehow vanished & no one seemed to know how. They showed Dumbledore the Vanishing Closet but all he said was to wait & see so they did.

Things progressed as usual for the next week or so but then, it suddenly dawned on Remus what he would do come Full Moon? There was no Quidditch practise that night & neither was there any way to get his little class done earlier for it would intrude on the regular classes of Hogwarts. Before Remus could give himself a headache, the final class of the day, Charms, was mysteriously cancelled, so Remus used that time to head for the classroom. Afterward, the Marauders stayed behind to do a little prank-plan...er...that is to say "studying," Remus of course, being the only one who did any real work. He was so engrossed with his textbook, The Standard Book of spells Grade 3, in a particularly interesting chapter about the _Levicorpus_ charm, that he didn't noticed his symptoms coming on.

"Remus, are you alright?" James suddenly said but Remus didn't hear. "Oi! Earth to Remus? Hello, do you copy?" Still no answer. "Bookworm freak." James muttered under breath.

"Sorry, did you say something?" Remus glanced around.

"You heard that?" James demanded. "You didn't hear me yelling at you but you heard that last part? Never mind, I was just asking if you're alright? You look a little...hot."

"I am not wearing lingerie again, if that's what you're thinking," Remus snapped making Sirius snort.

"What did you do with that lovely set I got you anyway?" Sirius asked. Remus attempted to throw his book at him but James stopped him.

"I mean you don't look well," James pressed a hand to Remus's forehead. "You've a bit of a fever...& your eyes are...different."

Remus stared guiltily into his book as he suddenly remembered that tonight was a full moon. _O non! Qu'est-ce que je vais faire, maintenant? (Oh no! What am I going to do now?)_ "It's nothing really...I am feeling a bit down—" _Try a lot, Remus,_ snarled the wolf.

"-my eyes do change a bit when I'm not well," Remus went on, ignoring the demon inside him screaming to get out. "Maybe I should just run to the hospital. I'll see you in the dorms later." He got up to leave but just as he got to the door, Remus turned & glared at Sirius. "And that set you gave me is in the bottom of my trunk where it will stay forever, unless I get married someday then maybe I can give it to her—"

"Her?" Sirius interrupted. "But what if you wind up being gay?"

"—otherwise," Remus went on, ignoring him. "I've no intention of using it ever again." He exited the library, ignoring the howls of laughter from his friends. He took off on a rampage down the halls to the hospital wing as the light of the sun blinked out behind a mountain. The moon was up in a few minutes & Remus cursed himself over & over for forgetting it. There was no way he could make it to the Shrieking Shack on time now.

"You're late!" Dumbledore used such an angry tone that Remus had never heard before & hoped would never hear again. "Too late, I'm afraid."

"What is to be done with him now?" asked Snape.

"The barn," Shepherd suddenly said. "It's the only way."

"We don't know if that old Thestral barn would hold him, Rohan," said Johnson.

"Edward, perhaps you & I should run ahead & cast the strongest Spell of Withstanding on it," said Dumbledore. "So long as it can hold him the night, he'll be fine."

"But the school will hear him in the morning," Pomfrey whimpered.

"There is a timed Silencing charm for that, Poppy," Dumbledore assured her. "It will activate when the sun rises & surround the barn but it'll only last ten minutes; however, it should be sufficient for the morning transformation."

"What about now?" Dr. Cross nodded to Remus who had suddenly gone ridged.

"Get him outside," yelped Dippet as he cast the regular Silencing charm on Remus before anyone could hear him.

Johnson & Dumbledore had disappeared already while the other could only watch in horror as a teen werewolf slowly emerged before him. Dr. Cross jumped forward, making everyone scream for his safety, & forced something down Remus's throat just has the transformation came to an end. He threw the empty vial labeled 'Draught Of Calm' onto the nearest bed as he jumped back.

"There's only one way to do this," Snape raised his wand & lashed it like a whip. A magical bind gripped the young wolf around the neck like a collar. "I can't hold him forever." Snape yelped. Others soon copied him until there were about half a dozen magical leashes pulling the wolf in all directions & holding him steady.

"Great!" Dr. Cross muttered sarcastically. "Now how are we to get him out of here & into there?" He nodded to the opposite window through which the Thestral barn could be seen, so close & yet so far. "And without anyone seeing?" The wolf bared his fangs, furious at being held still with so many humans to eat.

"_Invincia!_" Dumbledore had somehow ended up back inside faster then anyone could say 'Lycanthropy.' & the wolf disappeared from view, though he could still be felt tugging on the lines at the ends of everyone's wands. Dumbledore added his own leash & the company began hauling the wolf out through the back door, no easy feat, considering they had to feel their way around an invisible dangerous animal, keeping the lines taught on all sides. If one slacked, others would pull back to make it straight again, like a team of cowboys holding an unruly bull.

"Where are you going?" Sirius looked up from a chess game, which he was losing to Peter.

"Checkmate!" Peter squealed in delight. Sirius just shrugged & watched James.

"Just need to check something," James flipped his cloak on & disappeared from view. "Be right back," came the invisible voice.

"I hate it when he does that," Sirius muttered as he saw the portrait open & close as if by an unseen force. "Spooky. Now, Pete, I'm really gonna beat you this time!" He re-set the game & started again, ignoring Peter's laugh of "Yeah right!"

James hurried quietly as possible down the stairs & through the halls, checking the rough-map on occasion for any detours. He narrowly avoided Peeves bouncing off the walls like the manic Poltergeist he was & ducked through a tapestry, revealing a short cut. James made his way to the hospital & slipped inside. The sight was pure devastation. The curtains around three beds & been ripped, a small table was overturned & a chair was broken in two. James noticed a small puddle of blood on the ground as well as the empty 'Draught Of Calm' vial on the nearest bed. James turned & fled for the main doors to outside. He glanced around, seeing nothing but a moonlit scene of tranquility. James heard voices far away but couldn't hear what they were saying. He headed in that direction.

"Sara Ferns, watch your line!" Clarkson yelled.

Professor Ferns leaped aside, narrowly missing a pair of snapping jaws. "How'd you see that, Derek?" Ferns yelped. "He's so fast."

"I'm a Diviner, am I not?" Clarkson snapped. "I can see the future."

"Yes & we all know how Diviners have bad tempers," Dumbledore teased, making the Divination Professor glare at him for a split second.

Johnson held the door open with one hand & started guiding the wolf in with his wand. The wolf did not go in easily & there were a few more near misses even though he could now be seen before he was safely locked inside.

"There," Dumbledore slammed the lock shut & slowly turned to his fellow Professors. "That should hold hi—Mr. Potter what are you doing here?"

Everyone stared at the messy-haired boy before them as an uneasy silence fell save for the constant grumbling of the defeated wolf. James stood staring at them all & looking shocked, his Invisibility Cloak dangling in one hand.

"Mr. ...Potter..." Snape quietly broke the silence.

"Is that Remus in there?" James asked just as quietly.

"Potter, please re—" Snape began.

"Is that Remus in there?" James asked a little more loudly.

"Potter please," Clarkson began. "James—"

"Is that Remus in there?" James demanded. He caught site of the wolf for a moment as it passed the window, eyes filled with amber, the same amber Remus often tried but failed to hide from the Marauders.

"Potter go to the hospital room," Dumbledore said.

"Is that Remus in there?" James finally screamed at them.

"Potter, we need to do a little charm on you," Dumbledore pressed "Go to the-" James shook his head & fled, flinging his cloak over him.

"We've got to find him now," Ferns yelped. "Before he tells the whole school." They ran after James as if the whole universe depended on it, hurrying into the school to start checking classroom after empty classroom.

"Jherek, you & Edward take the left wing," Dippet said. "Albus & I will go ahead, the rest of you split up & take a direction & be careful. It appears our Mr. Potter has acquired an Invisibility Cloak. Go!"

James stood behind the four hourglasses at the entrance in the main hall where the points were tallied for each House. He saw Dumbledore enter last & noticed that the old wizard seemed the least worried. As the group of Professors dispersed to look for him, James slowly made his way to the Tower. He entered quietly, pulled off his cloak & slumped into a chair. It took him a minute before he realised he had dropped into Remus's favorite chair. The common room was empty save for Peter & Sirius who were now playing Exploding Snap & Nightstalker, another thing that reminded James of Remus, hooted softly from the dying fire.

Sirius was the first to realise a ghost had more color then James. "Jim? W-What's wrong?"

"You were right," James stared at Peter dully. "You were right. I hate it but you were right."

"About what?" Peter asked.

"Remus," James said simply. Several minutes passed in silence as Sirius & Peter figured out what James meant.

"Y-You mean he-he really is..." Sirius stuttered. "But-but how do you know?"

"I saw him," James mumbled.

"You what?" Peter & Sirius both asked at the same time.

"I saw him," James said again. "He's in the Thestral barn right now. I know that wolf is him; those eyes. Bright amber like how they sometimes turn when Remus is glaring at something...or someone."

"No way," Sirius exclaimed.

"And what's worse," James went on. "The Professors all know. They're the ones that locked him up in there; though, I've heard them saying it's a temporary solution. Apparently, Remus's real...lair...is somewhere else."

"No way!" Sirius exclaimed again.

"Want to see him?" James stood up, holding his cloak. Sirius & Peter exchanged looks & then scrambled under the cloak beside James. The three of them slowly made their way through the castle, checking their leaflets of Map as they went to avoid everyone who was looking for James. They soon found themselves standing in front of the barn.

James pulled off the cloak & started climbing up some spare bales of hay that were leaning against the outside wall to the window, his friends clamoring beside him. Peering in, they saw a creature that looked like an immature Husky but with golden eyes & bigger paws with larger nails. The wolf was currently playing with its tail, spinning around & around until he became dizzy & sprawled out in an empty stall. James laughed softly as Remus rolled onto his back & held all four paws in the air towards the ceiling.

The laughter was cut short when golden eyes met bespectacled hazel.


	10. Our Secret Power

**(10) Our Secret Power**

There was a horrendous thud as the wolf's head collided with the spot just under the window. Stunned, the wolf sat on his tail & shook his head. He then glared up at the window where three meals sat staring at him, the one with glasses looking unusually pale, perhaps inedible, the wolf decided.

"That was close!" Peter yelped. "Let's climb up to the second-floor window." James & Sirius agreed & began maneuvering themselves up the bales of hay to the higher window, a pair of golden eyes following them until they climbed out of sight.

"Lets open this," Sirius pushed up the window much to James horror.

"Sirius!" James hissed. "You remember what my boggart is? I don't like big dogs."

"He's not a dog, he's a wolf," Sirius snapped.

"I don't like big K9's!" James yelped.

"Whatever," Sirius shrugged. "He can't jump this high anyway, seeing as we're at the second floor." Sirius & Peter leaned over the edge to peer down. The wolf glared up & neither party moved for several minutes.

Sirius & Peter suddenly screamed & pulled back, making James yelp, "What he do?" in a scared voice.

"Just jumped," Sirius shrugged as he recovered. "Didn't think he could get that high. Come on just look at him? He really can't get up here anyway." The three of them leaned in to watch.

There was a thud & a scuttling sound of nails scratching wood as the wolf jumped & tried climbing the wall. Almost there! The wolf whimpered excitedly but fell back down. Another thud & a scuttling sound of nails scratching wood. Excited whimpers of being almost there, his little black wet nose wriggling eagerly. Thwump! Back in the hay at the bottom.

"Hmm, he can't get up here, can he?" James leaned in farther.

Another thud & a scuttling sound of nails scratching wood. Excited whimpers of being almost there, his little black wet nose wriggling eagerly. Thwump! Back in the hay at the bottom.

"He's trying his hardest to throw himself up here," James went on as the wolf tried again. Another thud & a scuttling sound of nails scratching wood. Excited whimpers of being almost there, his little black wet nose wriggling eagerly. Thwump! Back in the hay at the bottom.

"Listen to him whine," Sirius muttered. "You'd think he's still a puppy."

"Well, he's not full-grown yet, that's for sure," said Peter.

James gulped. "You mean he's going to get bigger?" Another thud & a scuttling sound of nails scratching wood. Excited whimpers of being almost there, his little black wet nose wriggling eagerly. Thwump! Back in the hay at the bottom.

"Uh-huh," Peter nodded.

James pulled back with such force that his glasses fell off & landed...inside. Another thud & a scuttling sound of nails scratching wood. Excited whimpers of being almost there, his little black wet nose wriggling eagerly. Thwump! Back in the hay at the bottom. This time, something landed beside him. The wolf sniffed the glasses cautiously & then promptly began chewing on them like a teething puppy.

"Oi!" James shrieked. "No! P-P-Put my glasses—Remus! No-o-o-o!" James watched helplessly at the blurry scene under him & heard the crunch of his precious glasses. "Come on you furry moron. Those were my best reading glasses!" Sirius & Peter were rolling around, shrieking with laughter. "No Remus! No! Bad-Bad wolf! Shame on you!" The wolf paused to look up at the ruckus, glasses dangling from the let side of his jaws.

Another thud & a scuttling sound of nails scratching wood. Excited whimpers of being almost there, his little black wet nose wriggling eagerly. Thwump! Back in the hay at the bottom.

"Put them down you mangy mutt!" James snapped. "You're getting slobber all over them! And you two!" He rounded on his friends. "_La ferme!_" ("Shut up!") They only laughed harder. James tried to ignor them & glared as best he could down at the wolf. "You will regret this night." The wolf merely stretched his shoulders as if shrugging & went back to eating his glasses. James slammed the window shut & slid down to the ground, Sirius & Peter following, crying tears of laughter.

They ducked under the cloak & worked their way back through the castle, dodging the occasional Professor who was still trying to find James, Dumbledore looking the least worried of them all. They waited under the first set of stairs as Snape, Johnson & Ferns hurried down & disappeared out of sight into the Great Hall. As they came out, James tripped & went sprawling onto the floor.

Sirius helped him up. "Watch where you're going."

"I would if I could see properly!" James snapped, blinking to adjust his sight.

Sirius ignored him. "Wonder what they're all up to?" he nodded to the door of the Great Hall behind which were the Professors.

"Looking for me," James muttered. "I'll deal with them tomorrow; let's go."

Once in the common room, they sat down on the couch & stared into the fire. James pulled his other pair of glasses out & held them up. They were scratched beyond reason. "Stupid wolf," James muttered, putting his second pair of glasses away again.

"Just put the Repairing charm on these," Sirius pulled them out & held them up.

"Can't," James said. "Those are magical scratches that your dear brother did & I can't get rid of them. Remus has the only good pair I have & he's using them for a bloody chew-toy."

"Well at least you can repair those tomorrow," Peter pointed out.

"I'm not wearing those again," James said stubbornly. "They're full of dog-slobber by now."

"You really don't like big dogs do you?" Sirius snickered. "Even though he is actually a wolf & not a dog."

"I don't care what kind of K9 he is," James said. "I do care of what size he'll get. No matter, I'll force Remus to order a new pair when next I see him in human form."

"About that," Sirius said. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?" asked James.

"Well, now we know he's a werewolf," Sirius said.

"Just get a silver amulet for protection," James shrugged, worried more about his beloved glasses then anything else at the moment.

"We should tell him it's alright," Peter said, ignoring the fact that James was holding his scratched pair of glasses in front of his face & squinting at them.

"No," Sirius said.

"No?" James & Peter repeated.

"Remember while in the Quidditch locker rooms last term," Sirius began. "I was thinking of how Shepherd can turn into a Panda?"

"You never did tell me what that was about?" James asked.

"Well, I was thinking," Sirius paused a moment. "Werewolves hurt themselves when they're alone. They need a pack to distract them but Remus will kill us if we try staying with him on Full Moons. You saw what he tried to do to us tonight?"

"Barely," James fumed. "Seeing as I have bad eyesight."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Fact is, if we could...learn Animagic-!"

"What?" Peter yelped. "Animagic isn't taught at school. We have to wait til we're done 7th year & then go to the Ministry. It'll be to late for Remus then."

"Who said anything about going to the Ministry?" Sirius said.

"You mean learn it ourselves?" James gaped. "Illegally?"

"Mhm," Sirius nodded. As his friends did nothing but stare at him as if he were crazy, he added. "Either that or feed him your glasses every month? That'll keep him busy at night."

"That's not funny," James muttered, crossing his arms.

"No, but at least it'll be legal," Sirius teased.

"But expensive," Peter added. "And since you'll be getting Remus to replace your glasses every month, it'll be your fault he'll end up in tatters. He's already not as well off as Sirius is."

"Leave my conscience alone, will you?" James snapped.

Sirius laughed at him. "Come on Jim. What do you say? You never know, you might end up being able to turn into a dog yourself. Hey, you could mate with him then!" Sirius & Peter both squealed with laughter at James sour expression.

"Lily wouldn't like that," James muttered.

"Aww come on Jim," Sirius groaned. "When was the last time you spoke to that girl?"

"When was the last time you spoke to the Ravenclaw blondie?" James defended. "Or did you forget to ask her name again?" Sirius only pouted. "Very well," He finally agreed, ignoring Sirius. "But we got to do it discretely. If we get caught..."

"Instead of calling it Animagic," Peter thought for a moment. "We should call it...our Secret Power...if we can learn it properly that is."

"Good point," James agreed. "I think Remus would like that."

"I said, we're not telling him," Sirius retorted. "What if this doesn't work? He'll be disappointed."

"Well we can't keeping saying, 'We're learning a Secret Power for Remus,' can we?" James said. "He'll wonder what's going on."

"So let's call him something that he won't know," Peter said.

"Like what?" Sirius asked.

"Wolf-boy?" James suggested.

"To obvious," Sirius waved it away with his hand. "& he might get the wrong impression & take it we don't want him."

"Loopy?" Peter said.

"No, Peeves calls him that," Sirius disagreed again. "He'll still figure it out."

"Well, you name him something then," James snapped.

"Me?" Sirius gulped. "Naw, I'm not good at naming things."

"Well, apparently neither are we," James retorted.

"Just pick something that's not so obvious," Sirius sighed exasperatedly.

"Like what?" James grumbled.

"Well I don't know," Sirius began pacing around on the hearth. "Wait, wait a minute. I got it! Moony. Let's call him Moony."

"Moony?" Peter repeated.

"Moony? Hmm," James mumbled. "Moony, your being a very bad wolf. Moony, stop eating my glasses. Moony, you mangy mutt; come here!"

"Be quiet, Jim," Sirius ordered, trying not to laugh.

"No, I like it," James defended. "It's got a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Guess it does," Sirius shrugged. "So, are we going to do this?"

"How?" asked Peter.

"There's bound to be something in the library," Sirius said.

"We can ask Shepherd for some books to," James said. "Say we just want to do an essay on it."

"I suppose, but it'll be hard doing it here," Sirius sighed. "We'll have to work extra fast during the summer." Peter & James nodded in agreement.

"Let's get to bed," James said. "It's almost 2:30."

The next morning, or rather, later that morning, the Marauders sluggishly pulled out of bed. They noticed Remus's was still empty & wondered when he'd get back yet. As he had nothing else, James slipped on his scratchy glasses before heading downstairs. The three of them hurried to the Great Hall & sat down to breakfast.

"Let's hurry," Sirius reached for scrambled eggs. "We should get to the library right away & start looking a bit before classes start." James & Peter followed suit until they were interrupted by Dumbledore.

"Mr. Potter, a word please?" Dumbledore headed for the doors without a backward glance.

James gulped & followed meekly. "See you in the library."

"I'd like to talk t you about last night," Dumbledore began.

"It's alright," James said. "Siri, Pete & I had suspected it from first year. His monthly disappearing aren't hard to notice."

"So your friends know of it too," Dumbledore said more to himself then to James. "What do you intend to do about it?"

James hesitated a minute. The Marauders had never tried to keep such a big thing a secret before but it was best not to tell anyone about it. So came the first divide that separated the Marauders from everyone else. "Nothing right now," James shrugged. "We don't mind his...er...furry little problem. We just have to slam the door in his face once a month; that's all."

"Very well," Dumbledore laughed softly. "I was hoping you'd saying something like that. Mr. Lupin has enough problems with others teasing him about his bloodlines; no one needs to know about his disease on top of it."

"Sir, are there other Lycans at Hogwarts?" James suddenly asked.

"No, just Remus," Dumbledore answered. "& no vampires at the moment either if that's what you're worried about."

"No, I just thought Remus had a pack or something," James shrugged.

"He does have a pack," Dumbledore looked pointedly at James for a moment before re-entering the Great Hall to finish breakfast.

The Marauders, minus Remus, soon found themselves in the library looking for anything on Animagic but so far, had no luck. "Hurry up!" James snapped.

"I'm looking as fast as I can!" Sirius fumed. "Oof!" He tripped over Peter who was crouched down to look at the lowest shelf. Peter squeaked in despair as he straightened up.

"It must be in the Restricted Section," James said. "We'll come back tonight under the cloak. Let's go. Class started five minutes ago."

They gave up & hurried to Charms where Professor Adelhide docked 10 points each for being late. James, Peter & Sirius glared at each other, blaming the other for their combined tardiness & sat sulking, in the corner.

They tried rushing through the classes as fast as possible, the final class, Care Of Magical creatures, being their target. Finally the time came & the three of them hurried outside, James making a slight detour to the barn to find his glasses. He found what may have been his glasses, a crumpled twist of wire & shattered lens soaking in a small pool of blood. The wolf, Moony, had obviously cut himself on them. "Serves him right," James muttered. "_Evanesco_." The little mess vanished from view. "I wonder where he is?"

"Probably in the hospital wing," Sirius shrugged. "We should go visit him later."

"But then he'll know that we know," James pointed out as the group fell in step with the rest of class to head towards Hagrid's pen where he was keeping the Hippogriffs. Shepherd was waiting for them in his Panda form, curled up under a tree.

"Not necessarily," Sirius said. "I'll hex you."

"Why is it you hex me?" James retorted. "I could be the one doing the hexing."

"But I don't wanna get hexed!" Sirius pouted.

"And you think I do?" James fumed. "I'm hexing you & that's final."

"Not if I don't hex you first," Sirius snapped.

"Don't be such a baby!" James shot back. Sirius only crossed his arms for he couldn't retaliate as Patches the Panda transformed into Professor Shepherd.

"Today, it is time to see how well you've acquainted yourself with the Hippogriffs," Shepherd started. "Let's try riding them one by one & try not to pull out feathers. Don't worry if you can't ride them, it doesn't mean you'll fail the class. Let's just see how well you've learned. Form a line now. Come on, hurry up."

There was a scuffle & a fight to be first. James & Sirius aimed for the front of the line but a group of Slytherins, led by Severus, elbowed their way to the front. James, Sirius & Peter stood glaring, which of course gave time for the other Gryfindors to get in line. Before any of the Marauders could retaliate, Shepherd started talking again.

"We'll get him for that," James scowled.

"Watch this," Sirius raised his wand & waited for Severus to be in the air. "_Incendio._' Sirius quickly hid his wand before anyone could turn around & see who lit Severus's hair up.

"Ahh!" Severus yelped, the Hippogriff careening out of control & crash landing on the ground. Shepherd put his hair out for him. Sirius & James both began jinxing the others as they went ahead until it was their turn. James managed to fly away on Valefor. Sirius approached Queen's sister, Princess & attempted to mount her. There was a sound like gunshots & the ground between him & Princess erupted in smoke. Princess panicked & flew away without her rider.

"No, no! Come back!" Sirius yelped. He whirled around as he heard laughter behind him. Severus & his friends were guffawing loudly. "Sir, can I try that again?" Sirius asked.

"No, it's getting late," Shepherd said. "Don't worry you did well."

"Not fair," Sirius muttered on their way back to the castle. "I never got to ride one & I guess I won't have a chance again. We're not doing Hippogriffs next year, I'm sure."

"Don't worry," James mumbled as he limped a long. "Not a very comfortable ride anyway."

"But it's still not fair," Sirius pouted. "You get to ride one & I don't. _Engorgio_." Sirius watched in amusement as James suddenly ballooned outward.

"Why you little—" James grumbled. "Sirius, undo this at once."

"Why?" Sirius laughed. "I just hexed you. Let's go see Remus."

They hurried into the castle & fell back to let the other students ahead. Sirius helped a rather fat James into the hospital wing as Peter ran ahead to find Pomfrey or Cross & explain what happened. Pomfrey came out looking out of sorts & muttering about dangerous hexes & the like & forced some nasty thing or other down James throat.

James soon returned to normal size & glared around. "She could have just unhexed me, you know?"

"She did," Sirius said with a grin. "In a medical way, of course."

"Of course," James muttered sarcastically. "Of course. There, I think that's him." James pointed to the farthest bed where the curtains were drawn around. Peter rummaged around in the cupboard until he found a large box of chocolate & some chocolate bars & hurried over.

Sirius pulled the curtains apart & stepped through. "Hi, Remus."

Remus turned to stare at them, eyes wide open. What were they doing here? Unless they found out? Remus was sure they had come to tell him it was over. He was out of the Marauders group, not to mention... packless. "W-What are you dong here?"

"Brought some chocolate," Peter handed some over as James walked around to sit on the other side.

"I made Jim fat 'cause I was mad at him," Sirius laughed, attempting to hand feed another bar of chocolate to Remus. "But I couldn't undo the hex so we came here. So what are you doing here? You don't look good."

"_Merci,"_ ("Thank you,") Remus muttered, relaxing. _Jusqu'ici, ils ne savent pas._ (_So they don't know, yet.)_ "So you just happened to have some chocolate on you?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, these are from the cupboard over there," Sirius pointed to it. "We figured we might as well bring you some when we noticed you were here. So what happened?" Sirius didn't need to ask of course, but he needed to make some conversation.

"Not quite sure," Remus said. "Ended up with glass in my mouth."

That reminded James of something. "By the way, I just realised...yesterday...you owe me a new pair of glasses."

"Huh?" Remus stared. "W-Why?"

"No reason," James hissed with gritted teeth. Remus was about to ask another question but Sirius & Peter laughing loudly distracted him.

"Trust me, Rem," Sirius said finally. "Do what he says. We found out that the last time you sat in the armchair you broke Jim's glasses beyond repair."

James added his own bit to the story. "Lily had hid them on me, under the cushion. You sat down & broke them so you owe me."

"What's wrong with the pair you got right now?" Remus frowned. "Just fix those scratches."

"Regulus hexed them so they can't be fixed," James said. "Just get me another pair."

"But I didn't break them on purpose," Remus defended. "I didn't even know they were there!"

"But you still broke them," James retorted. "Look, I'll see you later, I got to get to the library for something." With that, James disappeared out the door.

"Can you believe that idiot?" Remus fumed. "How am I supposed to get him new glasses? And why should I?"

"Just do as he says," Sirius ordered. "Get him those Owl-time glasses. They come with a built-in _Lumos_ so he can read in the dark. Here," Sirius slipped Remus a few gold galleons. "Order by owl from Diagon Alley & don't tell Jim I'm helping you out." Remus didn't know what to say so he took his fury out on a helpless chocolate bar.

Sirius & Peter arrived in the library a few minutes later & found James at the back behind a row of books, carrying his Invisibility Cloak. "Ready?" James threw it over them all & slowly pushed the door open to the Restricted Section. Once inside, he locked the door behind them & the three separated to look for a book, any book, on Animagic.

The Restricted books, most of which were chained to the shelves, seemed to have minds of their own. Several flew out at them, opening & shutting themselves in rhythm & flapped around their heads. Sirius, Peter & James ducked several times to avoid getting knocked over.

It was nearly an hour later when Sirius suddenly yelled from the farthest corner. "I found something!"

It was another five minutes before James & Peter located Sirius. "What is it?" James asked.

"A book," Sirius said. James smacked him. Sirius just laughed. "Here, it's called, 'Illegal Magical Practices'." He opened it up & read the summary. "Want to learn the magical powers faster? Here's how you do it. There are several spells that are illegal simply because they are dangerous; it doesn't have to be the Dark Arts alone to amuse you. Here you will learn, among other things, the Slashing charm to turn your wand into an elegant sword or the Bigheaded charm to hex those pesky bullies at school. Or if the Ministry doesn't accept you, turn to page 3,940 & learn all you want about Animagic." Sirius closed the book.

"Whoo hoo!" James punched the air. "Let's go."

"Er...exactly how many pages are in that book?" Peter asked, eyeing the thick tome."

Sirius opened it to the last page, "Fifty thousand!" Peter gulped.

"Not all of it is dedicated to Animagic," James pointed out. "Lets get it to our dorm." James cast a feather-light charm on it & grabbed his cloak.


	11. The Letter In Black

**(11) The Letter In Black**

James, Peter & Sirius poured over the book whenever they could, usually waiting for Remus to go to bed before pulling it out. Sirius would flip to the page & then the three of them would huddle together to read the next chapter of Animagic; there were 394 chapters alone dedicated to Animagic, making their plans almost impossible.

"Ah, finally something useful," Sirius pointed to a paragraph. "See here, it says, 'Before attempting such transformations, one must ensure that his or her body can shift from one shape & back again easily.'" Sirius paused & glanced at James & Peter.

James & Peter glanced at each other & then back to Sirius, whose smile was slowly turning upside-down. "Uh..." James began.

"What?" Sirius asked nervously.

"That's...that's not good," James said. "Is it?"

"I dunno," Peter shrugged. "It might be good..." The three of them looked at each other again for a long awkward silence.

"Keep reading! Keep reading," James suddenly ordered.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. Another awkward silence. "Sure...uh...'If you're not a true Metamorph, then shape-shifting won't come easy.' Well duh! We know that!"

"Keep reading," James ordered.

"You can be worse then Re–Moony sometimes, you know that?" Sirius snapped.

"Keep reading!" James & Peter instructed.

"_Oui_ _Professeurs. Sires!"_ ("Yes Professors. Sirs!") Sirius rolled his eyes. "Look, there's a potion to force metamorphosis cells into your body. Two cups of ash, twelve ground pearls–eleven regular & one black, one magic mushroom. Stir it into three cups of warm...Thestral milk? Well, we might as well give up now, seeing as we can't see them." Sirius snapped the book shut & tossed it aside.

"I think it's time the former JPS Marauders sent Remus another letter," James suggested.

"He knows who we are," Sirius pointed out.

"Well, we won't sign it," James said.

"Don't forget, we have to triple everything," Sirius went on. "That was for one serving."

"Maybe normal Pegasus milk will work," Peter suggested.

"Pete, where would we get a normal Pegasus?" Sirius half-snapped. "They're not native to Scotland. Besides, does anyone know when their breeding season is?"

"Well, there are Abraxans in France or somewhere around there," James pointed out. "Those are big Palomino Pegasuses."

"The plural of it is Pegasi," Sirius snapped.

"It can be Pegasuses, too," James defended.

"No it can't."

"Yes it can."

"No it can't!"

"Yes it can!"

"Look it up, guys," Peter threw a dictionary in their faces.

After a few minutes in silence, Sirius slammed the dictionary shut. "Fine but I still prefer 'Pegasi'."

"Whatever," James complained.

"Look, why don't we get Shepherd to get us some milk?" Sirius suggested.

"Why can't we just use Remus?" James asked.

"Because he can see them," said Sirius.

"So?" James pressed.

"Do you know why he can see them?" Sirius went on. "He saw someone die & I don't want to be the one bringing that up."

"I'm sure if Shepherd can see Thestrals, he saw someone die to," James said.

"Yes but he's not our friend, not like Remus," Sirius said. "It's not like he'll get nervous wondering if we'll ask him what happened. Remus, on the other hand, is probably expecting us to say something."

"Very well," James gave up. "We'll just say it's for an experiment...which it is, come to think of it."

It was almost a week since the Full Moon. The Marauders sat down to breakfast; discussing what to do next to the Slytherins when James found a black rectangular box in his plate. On the lid was written 'Owl-Timers' & inside was a grand-looking pair of glasses. They had round lens in an ebony frame that shone ever so slightly with Lumos, a spell of light for dark areas, worked right into the frame. James squinted through his scratched glasses to have a better look.

"You need glasses to see your glasses," Sirius teased.

"Remus," James breathed at last. "I...er...I didn't mean...why didn't you just get normal ones? You didn't have to get these...oh Remus!"

"It's no problem," Remus said with a light smile.

"But are you sure?" James gulped.

"Mhm."

"Very well," James said, suddenly suspicious. "_Merci, Remy_." ("Thank you, Remy.") He piled some bacon & eggs onto his plate before adding, "And _merci_ (thank you) to you too, Siri."

Sirius choked on his eggs & glared at Remus. "Told you not to tell him."

"I didn't," Remus shrugged. "He figured it out on his own."

"Hmpf."

An explosion at, or rather, under the Slytherin Table caused that argument to end. Everyone looked around at the billowing smoke & all the Slytherins coughing & sputtering. They were covered in soot & so was their table & food. Bright colorful sparkles fluttered down over the whole scene, landing in their hair. The Slytherins glared around at everyone who dared to laugh, which was most of the Great Hall.

"Knew that box of fireworks I found in Hogsmeade was good for something," Sirius mumbled to himself as he hurried through his eggs.

"That was great, Siri," James said as they tumbled out of the Hall.

"Hilarious," Peter agreed.

"You could have started a fire or something," Remus scolded.

"Aww shush Remy," Sirius groaned. "Personally, Snivelus looks great with green & gold sparkles in his hair & did anyone see Regulus? He looked like he had clown hair." Sirius laughed loudly & James joined him.

"It's amazing no one got hurt," Remus went on disapprovingly.

"Yes! Finally," Sirius jumped off the ground & punched air. "We know something a little muggle-born like you doesn't. Merlin that was so annoying, you always pulling stuff off about muggle things, like that gluey stuff."

"Well, what is it?" Remus huffed.

"_Non, Remy!_" ("No, Remy!") James hissed. "Let us enjoy this moment first because it may never come again." Remus glared at James.

"Alright," Sirius gave up. "I don't know how you muggles do it but magic fireworks are charmed to put shields around their explosions. You can put the biggest magic firework in the universe under your nose & all you get is a bit of smoke."

"Well, if you did that with a muggle firework," Remus said. "You'd get killed."

"You go on to Transfigurations," Sirius just shrugged. "I'll see you later."

"Where you going?" asked Remus.

"I need to ask Shepherd something," Sirius said. "I'll be there in a minute."

James, Peter & Remus settled themselves in their seats for Transfigurations Class & waited for Dumbledore to come in. Remus leaned back & stretched then turned to James. "So you anxious for the game on Sunday?"

James scowled. "I swear, the next person to ask me that is going to be sorry they ever did. Of course I'm anxious! Whoever wins it gets the House Cup!" Remus snickered & sat up straight again as Dumbledore had just entered.

"I shall ask Jherek to whip up a nice calming potion for you if you like, Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore teased.

"No that's not necessary, Sir," James muttered. "Thanks anyway."

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "And where is Mr. Black?"

"He'll be here," James muttered, trying to focus.

"Then we should start," Dumbledore said. "You may fill him in later." With that, Dumbledore headed to the front of class & started the lesson on how to change quills into canaries.

Halfway through class, Sirius still hadn't shown up, almost everyone had a little yellow bird flying around them, Remus & Lily included of course. James managed to turn his quill into a Macaw Parrot instead of a canary.

"Impressive," Dumbledore exclaimed. "The larger the bird, the harder the spell, yet you've done-" Whatever James was supposed to have done was never said as a large Screech owl flew in through the door & landed on Dumbledore's desk. It had a black envelope with gold letters spelling out Dumbledore's very long full name tied to its leg. Dumbledore took the letter & the owl flew away. He put the envelope into his pocket without reading it & said, "Class dismissed." in a rather dry voice.

"Wonder what that was all about?" James asked as they exited the classroom.

"Who knows?" Remus agreed. "What happened to Sirius?"

"Beats me," James shrugged. "Maybe Patches accidentally ate him or something."

Peter looked horrified at James. "He wouldn't of!"

"Of course not, Pete," James laughed.

"Potter! Lupin! Pettigrew!"

The three nominees whirled round to see Madam Pomfrey bustling up to them. "We didn't do it!" they yelped automatically.

"Silence," Pomfrey shushed them. "Mr. Black wants to see you. He's in the hospital wing." She led them at a fast pace to the hospital wing.

Sirius was lying, half-sitting, in a bed & groaned when he saw them. "Bella's back & Merlin she got me."

"What did she do?" James asked.

Sirius waited for Pomfrey to leave them alone before saying, "_Crucio_-ed me something evil." Everyone gasped. "Merlin, she's worse then my dad & he's pretty strong. I've told Pomfrey she hexed me through a wall, though."

"Sirius," James snapped. "You should tell her."

"No, I'm not dragging the Hogwarts staff into family problems," Sirius declared. "Besides, I'm used to it." He attempted to push himself up a bit farther, groaning as his body protested at movement.

"You don't look like you're used to it," James said.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Sirius suddenly yelped as he tried moving again.

"You are not fine," James snapped. "I'm telling Pomfrey."

"No!" Sirius grabbed James's hand & yanked him back down. He moaned again as the force racked his body. "Stay out of it or Bella will get you to. She hexed me through a wall & that's all anyone's going to know. Got that?"

"They'll figure it out anyway," said Remus. "Hogwarts is full of Dark Arts detectors."

"They'll know someone used _Crucio_ sooner or later," Sirius agreed. "But others use it too so they won't find out it was Bella who used it on me."

"Fine," Remus gave up & left to explore the cupboard for any chocolate.

"Milk's in the barn by the toy carriages on the shelf," Sirius said in a low voice, hoping Remus won't pick it up. "I hid it there when I saw Bellatrix was back."

"Never mind that now," James ordered.

"We should do it tonight," Sirius said.

"No," James said. "Tomorrow night. While you're here, Peter & I will use my cloak to raid the Potion cupboard for the rest of the ingredients. We'll do that now."

"What about the French lessons?" Sirius teased.

"I don't think we're doing that anymore now that Bella's back," James said. "I'll tell that to Remus."

"Good idea," Sirius agreed. "All of us together. Easy target for her. I'll tell Remus that. You two get going." Sirius watched James & Peter leave & then told Remus to sit on the bed with him. "Gently!" Sirius yelped.

"Sorry."

James & Peter managed to grab the other ingredients for the potion that night; though, they had to wait for Sirius to get out of the hospital to make it. As it was Saturday, James & Peter discussed how to get Sirius out of there on time for the potion. Pomfrey demanded Sirius stay for one more night, but Sirius tried to show he was fine so he could get out right away. He finally escaped in the evening, trying to walk straight without limping until he was out of Pomfrey's sight. James & Peter helped him the rest of the way to Gryfindor Tower.

"Well, here it is," James pulled out a pot full of simmering baby blue liquid. He poured it out into three glasses. "Here's to our first lesson in Animagic."

"Cheers," said Peter as the three of them clinked their goblets together & then gulped it down.

"Hmm, not bad," James said when he downed his drink.

"For once," Sirius agreed. "Rather sweet."

"I don't feel any different, do you?" Peter asked.

"No not really," James answered.

"Well, we did it," Sirius said. "Maybe we're not supposed to feel anything yet."

"Maybe," James shrugged. "Wonder how useful this thing was?"

"Guess we have to wait & see," Sirius muttered. "Any word on that black letter Dumbledore got?"

"None," James said. "I told Remus about it & he thinks it's something from the Ministry Of Magic."

"Guess we have to wait on that too," Peter rolled his eyes.

"You know, I haven't seen Dumbledore since then," Sirius added.

"Neither have I," said James as he crawled into bed. "But we'll see him for sure on Monday. Well, g'night!" Sirius & Peter hopped into their own beds as well just as Remus came up. Remus put off the torches of light for everyone & hurried to pull his curtains across the bit of moonlight sneaking in.


	12. The Parting

This is the last chapter for **_Friend or Foe?_**

**Year 4:** **_Phantom Reality_** is in my bio. It'll be a bit different for I'm going to try writing a bit darker now.

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**(12) The Parting**

Morning came all to soon. Remus was up & about before the others as usual but this time, his friends were still in bed an hour later when he returned from the common room.

"Oi!" Remus half-barked. Three beds shook as their occupants jumped. "Breakfast started half an hour ago."

"Later," James groaned. "I'm so soar."

Remus marched up to James's bed & shook him. "Come on. Up!" He did the same to Peter & lastly, pounced on Sirius who was lying face down in the pillow.

"Ahh! Watch the _Crucio_!" Sirius shrieked with gritted teeth as he arched his back to support Remus.

Remus scrambled off. "Sorry...forgot..." He ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"Ugh!" Sirius rolled over on his back to glare at the ceiling. "I swear I'll never move again." he half-sobbed. "Never, never, never..."

"Said I was sorry," Remus mumbled, heading for the door. "Come on, if we hurry we might make it for dessert."

"Uhh..." James, Peter & Sirius groaned as they grabbed their blankets & pulled them over their heads so that they appeared as covered corpses.

"You can't be doing this," Remus said. "You two have Quidditch in an hour."

"Quidditch?" James & Sirius sat bolt right up in bed, Sirius wishing he hadn't.

James lay back down as Remus came to try pulling him out. "Urgh, go 'way; go 'way!" James moaned, rolling over, away from Remus.

"There's no way I'm playing Quidditch today. GO AWAY!" Sirius also rolled away from Remus & tried to move into a more comfortable position.

"That's it," Remus tried not to growl. "Get up you lazy boys. _Bouge!_" (Move!")

"Uh-uh," Sirius whined. "I ain't '_bouge'_-ing." ('move'-ing.")

"'_Bouge'_-ing?" ("'Move'-ing?") Remus glared. "That's not how you say 'moving' in French."

"Bite me, Remus," Sirius snarled, yanking the blanket over his head again.

Remus looked somewhat startled as he exited the room. He closed the door quickly & stood outside trying to slow his breathing. "No Siri," he whispered to himself. "you really don't want me to do that."

"Sirius," James hissed in a loud whisper once Remus had left. "You git! You don't go around asking werewolves to bite you, numbskull." Sirius just groaned.

"What's wrong with us?" Peter moaned from his bed.

"I dunno, Pete," James winced.

"That potion," Sirius murmured. "Must be that confounded potion & to top it off with what Bellatrix put me through...nope no Quidditch for me today."

James heaved himself out of bed & grabbed the book. How he managed to lug it back to his bed & open it no one will ever know. "Ah, here it is. 'The potion has performed it's duty if it causes soarness & stiffness for a day or two.'"

"Or two?" Sirius whined.

"Wish we had read that yesterday," James groaned lying back down after shoving the book under his bed. "We could have waited 'til after Quidditch for this. Sirius! We have to! It's the final game, the House Cup."

Sirius said something along the lines of not caring less about the Cup right now, making James glare. "Look, I'm worse off then you. I just can't move. See if they'll let Remus take my place today. He knows the rules & he can fly though he doesn't like to. Not to mention, it probably won't be a bad idea considering his Lycan strength."

"I'll try," James sighed as he forced himself up again. He took ten minutes getting dressed & slowly maneuvered down to the common room where he found Remus. James decided he might as well just ask him & get it over with.

"What?" Remus yelped. "Me? Play Qui—_Non!_ _Je déteste voler! C'est impossible!_" (No! I can't. I don't like flying. That's impossible!")

"Remus, pleezzee!" James begged, trying to make puppy-dog eyes like Sirius. "It's only one game. The Cup! Come on, let's go ask right now so you can get in a bit of practise flying. Please?"

"But, what about Siri? What's wrong with him?" Remus groaned. "Surely he can't be that bad. We should tell Pomfrey."

"He doesn't want to," James snapped. "Have a little sympathy, will you? What would you do if your family treated you like that?"

"But-but-oh!" Remus gave up. "Fine, but if we lose don't blame me."

"It'll be fine," James jumped up to hug Remus. "Good, let's get to the kitchens; maybe scrounge for some food or something to bring back here."

James & Remus managed to bring some breakfast back to the dorms to share with Peter & Sirius, who was still not moving much. Afterward, James & Remus hurried to the Pitch to find Captain Cooper. She groaned at having to train someone on such a short notice but James insisted Sirius wouldn't be able to make it for the game. Having no choice, she trained Remus for the better part of the morning as a Chaser; Remus looking more & more helpless by the minute, until it was time to go to the Pitch. Sirius stayed in bed though Peter forced himself to move so he could watch the game.

James led Remus like a lamb to the slaughterhouse, down to the Gryfindor change-rooms, wincing & stretching as they went, even Remus who was already getting soar from not being used to flying. His only hope was James's speedy dives that would end the game quickly. Peter headed for the stands as James opened the door. Remus couldn't help letting out a soft puppy-like whine.

"Why don't you like flying?" James asked.

"Not to fond of heights," Remus muttered.

"Look, Reginald & Anna are going to be helping you," James introduced Remus to them. "You'll be fine & it's just this one time anyway. Just fly low...not to low." Remus gulped as James pulled out some parchment & marked something on it.

"What's that?" Remus nodded to the parchment.

"Ah, nothing," James hurriedly stashed it away. "Just Quidditch notes, don't worry about it. Look, there goes Siri's girlfriend." James pointed to a blonde Ravenclaw girl heading up the stands.

"Still don't know her name, do we?" Remus said with a snicker.

"At least I have the courtesy to know Lily Evans's name," James tried to pick out the redheaded Gryfindor girl but Lily was conveniently hidden amongst her friends. Remus tried not to laugh.

"And it's Ravenclaw vs. Gryfindor the final game of the year!" the commentator began. "Who ever wins this wins the House Cup!"

"Yeah yeah yeah," James scoffed. "Ready Remy? Ha! That rhymed."

"Ohh help!" Remus turned to run but James grabbed him.

"Oi! Remus! The Quidditch Pitch," James pushed him in the right direction. "is that way."

"Uh, I knew that," Remus groaned, stumbling onto the Pitch with Sirius's broom in hand & followed by the rest of the team. The Ravenclaw Team was heading towards them from the opposite side. All to soon, the balls were released & Remus found himself in the air, though he was the last one up.

Sirius pulled himself to the window to watch the game. He was able to see clearly the Ravenclaw half the Pitch so he was lucky to see any goals Gryfindor made, though the other side was blocked by another turret of the castle. Sirius peered through the omniculars Peter had left him & noticed easily Reginald Mantle & Anna Leanne.

"Come on, Remy," Sirius muttered. "Where are you?" He soon found the werewolf, flying lower then the average player & looking scared stiff. Remus had the Quaffle & somehow managed to fling it through the hoop on the left while still flying low. Sirius laughed lightly. "That's Lycan power for you." He wondered just how many goals they had. & soon managed to count five so far.

James dipped in & out of Sirius's view on his quest for the Snitch. Sirius lay the omniculars down & grabbed another chicken salad sandwich. "Now this is the way to play Quidditch!" He checked the Pitch after the sandwich but no one was in view so he went back to bed with a groan.

About half & hour later, the whole Quidditch Team & Remus piled into the dorm led by James who was carrying something big & shiny. "Siri! We got it! We won!"

"Excellent dive, as usual," Reginald laughed.

"_Merci!_" ("Thank you!") James bowed slightly.

"Party downstairs," Remus said. "Think you can make it?"

"I'll try," said Sirius. "So how'd it go?"

"This is a one-time thing," Remus glared. "Merlin, I hate flying."

James waited for everyone to clear out & then passed the note to Sirius.

_Afraid of heights; most dogs are._

"I know," Sirius sighed. "But we had no choice. At least we got the Cup."

James helped Sirius downstairs & everyone left the couch to let him lie there. The party lasted well into the night until Professor Snape entered & sent them to their dorms around 2:00 am. The crowd quickly dwindled away.

James crawled into bed with a sigh. "Wonder why Snape came? Dumbledore's our Head of House. Snape's Head of Slytherin."

"Maybe it's got something to do with that black letter Dumbledore got," said Remus.

"Probably," Sirius agreed. "We can ask Dumbledore tomorrow."

"Siri," James called.

"What?" Sirius mumbled.

"I saw your girlfriend today," James snickered.

"Girlfriend?" Sirius glared. "I don't have a girlfriend,"

"Sure you do," said James with a sneer. "That blonde Ravenclaw?"

"Oh, her?" Sirius waved it away with his hand. "No, not really."

James, Peter & Remus ducked under their blankets singing, "Siri & his gal sitting in the Whomping Willow tree—"

"Very funny," Sirius snapped.

A short silence.

"K-I-S-S-I-!"

"Lupin," Sirius warned. Another silence.

"First comes lo—"

"Pettigrew," Sirius waited as the silent seconds ticked by.

"Then comes mar—"

"Potter!"

James, Peter & Remus shrieked with laughter & finished off quickly, "&babiesinababycarriage!"

"Right that's it!" Sirius raged & cast _Rictusempra_ three times, the tickling charm, on his three friends making them squeal, particularly Remus, as they flew out of bed with the force of the charm. Sirius lay back with a satisfactory smile etched on his face.

Now that Quidditch was out of the way, the students had something else to look forward to, the rest of their end of year exams. Last minute instructions where popped on them, extra homework which was already doubled was piled onto their desks. The Marauders plodded through their classes. Out of boredom, they caused Severus's cauldron to boil over making most Gryfindors laugh & landing all four of them in detention for a week. Finally, Transfigurations arrived & the Marauders waited for Dumbledore to enter.

"Turn your pages to the second last chapter," Professor Snape announced as he entered.

Everyone turned around, whispering, "Where's Dumbledore?"

"He is unable to attend Hogwarts for a while," Snape said. "I will take you through your Transfiguration finals this year as well as your Potions. Turn to the second last chapter."

The Marauders cast worried glances at each other before turning to their books. Dumbledore was not seen again in classes or in the Great Hall at mealtimes. He had left the castle entirely; though, the Marauders couldn't figure out why other then the fact it probably had something to do with the black letter.

The days grew tantalizingly warmer as summer came near. Restless students hated being cooped up in classes all day & spent any of their free time outside, some of them even swimming in the lake. The Marauders finally cleared their last Potions essay & headed for the doors as soon as class was dismissed.

"Can't wait to get outside," James said as they rounded a corner & the great oak doors to outside came in sight.

"Guys, get back," Sirius suddenly yelped & stepped backwards out of sight.

"What's wrong with you?" James asked as they retreated.

"Mom & Dad," Sirius said in a somewhat small voice. He peered around the corner for a moment. "What are they doing here?"

James slipped under Sirius to watch. "Isn't that Andromeda?"

"What? Where?" Sirius yelped, glaring at the group. He saw Andromeda was being held firmly by both Bellatrix & Regulus. "Oh, no. I think they found out who Ted Tonks is."

"What are they going to do to her?" Peter asked.

"_Crucio_ first," Sirius gulped. "Then probably kill her & make it look like an accident."

"Don't be silly," James scoffed. "They won't go that far."

"Yes, they will," Sirius declared. James was about to tell Sirius he was over-reacting but stopped when he saw his face. "Such is the way of the Black family. Wouldn't be the first time we murdered someone. Andromeda & I had another little cousin, Ursula who was Andie's sister, followed me everywhere, looked up to me. One day she was found drowned in the pool, tragic accident." Sirius scoffed. "It was really because she wanted to follow me & not other Blacks."

"How would you know?" James asked. "It could have been an accident."

"Ursula was a good swimmer," Sirius muttered. "Not to mention Dad told me flat out what happened & said I'd meet the same fate if I didn't smarten up. We've got to get to Andromeda, somehow."

"Sh!" Remus shushed him. "They're coming." The four of them ducked behind a tapestry & waited for the group to pass.

"Can't believe you, Andie," Mr. Black was saying. "A muggle. You want to run off & marry a muggle! You'll pay for that."

"Uncle Orion, I—"

"Be quiet!" Mr. Black snarled. "Your parents are waiting in the Headmaster's office. Has anyone seen Sirius?" Sirius made a small noise.

"Not lately," said Regulus.

"Not still hanging out with that mudblooded boy is he?" Mr. Black snarled.

"That Lupin kid?" Regulus went on. "Yes, he is."

"Pity," Mr. Black sneered. "Half-bred wizards shouldn't be allowed to use magic."

Remus waited for them to disappear before shoving his friends aside & running away.

"What's his problem?" Peter asked.

"My parents," Sirius snarled. "They called him mudblood & halfbreed all in the same breath. Remus? Wait." He ran after him with James & Peter close behind. Sirius grabbed Remus by the arm & yanked him to a stop. "Remy?"

Remus tried not to look at Sirius as he said, "Sorry I'm so much trouble for you."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius scoffed. "Forget them. You're no trouble-well you ARE-but you're not, you know what I'm saying? Come on, you're no...halfbreed."

"But your family thinks I am?" Remus muttered staring at the floor. "What would they mean by that?"

"Remus, you know what my family's like," Sirius said. "To be less then a pureblood is beneath them. Don't you pay attention to them. Not a word of it is true."

Remus buried his face in his hands as his breathing slowed to normal. At that moment he wanted to tell them; he almost told them, that what Mr. Black said was true. That he was a halfbreed, a werewolf. But the moment passed as quickly as it came & Remus lost his nerve to say it.

"Come on," Sirius put an arm around a shaky Remus & steered him forward. "Let's go get Andromeda."

"Not you Sirius," James pushed him away. "They're looking for you, to. Go to our dorm. You'll be safer there. Leave Andie to us."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Sirius began.

"We can do it, just get to our dorm," James ordered. "Quickly now, we'll see you later."

"Alright," Sirius gave in & hurried away as James, Peter & Remus headed for Andromeda.

Sirius headed straight for his bed & sat on it for several minutes. He got up & began pacing around, finally ending up at the window to watch the sun set. Sirius crawled out onto the roof & settled himself in the groove where two roofs slanted down & connected. Sirius fell asleep there for almost an hour. When he woke up, it was dusk & the gold spots in nearby towers shone brightly. Sirius suddenly realised he had an excellent view of the Gryfindor girls dorm & raised an eyebrow as several girls, including Lily walked passed the window, all dressed in silk night gowns that showed their developing figures well.

"Wow, Jim's gonna kill me!" Sirius snickered to himself & then thought of the Ravenclaw blonde & wondered which Tower belonged to Ravenclaw. Before he could move, a clatter behind him nearly caused him to fall off the roof.

"Sirius, what are you doing on the roof?"

"Andie?" Sirius gulped & scrambled away from the edge. "How'd you get away?"

"Your friends stormed the office," Andromeda began. "screaming blue murder about all the walls bleeding. Turns out they smeared the hall below with that dragon blood from Herbology. While everyone panicked, Potter handed me his broom & I flew out the window."

"I'm glad you're Ok," Sirius sat down beside her. "Look what I found." He pointed to the girls' window.

"Sirius," Andromeda scolded, covering his eyes. "You perv! Typical guy." Sirius could only giggle like a girl as he tried in vain to free himself from her clutches. "Girls, close your curtains! There's a guy here."

Lily looked around, shrieked when she saw Sirius & yanked the curtains closed. "You'll pay for that, Black!"

"Aww, what you tell them for?" Sirius whined.

"For your own good," Andromeda said.

"I'm just looking," Sirius crossed his arms & pouted.

"Yeah, yeah. Looks lead to touch & then babies in a baby carriage," Andromeda snapped as Sirius glared. She watched him for a while before laughing though somewhat sadly. "Look, I just wanted to see you one last time."

"What do you mean?" Sirius stopped trying to open the curtains with his mind & turned to look at Andromeda.

"Well," Andromeda sighed before going on. "Both our parents are furious. I'm leaving tonight to go with Ted. It's my 7th year anyway so I'm just skipping the exams. I'm not sure how long it'll be before we see each other again."

"But-but you can't go," Sirius said.

"I have to," Andromeda tried explaining. "I'm not safe here anymore."

"But you'll leave me," Sirius buried his face in his hands. "Now what am I going to do?"

"Hang on to those three friends of yours," Andromeda said. "I think you picked some good ones there."

"But—"

"Hush Siri," Andromeda silenced him. "No tears. You know I have to go." Sirius didn't say anything as he watched her mount the broom. "I'll leave this in Hogsmeade for your friend," she said as she kicked off. "Goodbye!" Sirius stood & watched her fly away towards Hogsmeade until darkness covered her. He stayed on the roof the rest of the night.

The final weeks of the term passed by in a daze for Sirius. He neither talked or ate much, just forced himself through each day. It wasn't until on the train home that he broke down & told his friends that Andromeda had left, possibly for good.

"Don't worry," James said. "I'm sure she'll send an owl or something once she's settled in & married Ted. She knows where I am."

"I hope so," Sirius mumbled.

"Want to come over to my place when we get off?" James offered & Sirius nodded. "Good, what about you two?"

"Hmm?" Peter & Remus looked up from their candy.

"Come over for a few days?" James asked.

"I'll see what Mom says," Peter said.

"I can't," Remus simply stated & pulled out a book. James didn't ask why for he knew Remus was trying to hide the Full Moons. Sirius, James & Peter looked at each other with a short nod. With both Remus & school out of the way, they were free to work on Animagic for Sirius had conveniently forgotten to return the book to the Restricted Section.


End file.
